KidLifeNightmare
by lovergirl85
Summary: So, if moving to England wasn't bad enough, now Kae has to deal with a teenage spy, his insane best friend, terrorist organizations, SAS soldiers. If all that added together wasn't bad enough, now SCORPIA wants Kae dead. Just for drawing a stupid picture
1. England is hell so far

Disclaimer for all future chapters/stories: I don't own Alex Rider, as unfortunate as that may be…for me, not for you.

--

"Kae…you're not supposed to be here," Morgan said tiredly. The fifteen-year-old ignored him and flung herself down in an empty seat and blurted out her purpose for being here and ignoring the court ruling. Not that she paid much mind to it anyway. Pieces of paper held no interest for Kae Miller, Spencer Reid's cousin.

"They're moving to England," she said, glaring at the unfortunate desk in front of her.

"They…as in your new guardians?" Morgan said to specify. Kae scowled harder and Morgan felt privately that if desks were animate and looks could kill, that desk would be six feet under several times over by now and Kae would be in jail for multiple murder charges.

"Yes, _them,_" she spat out, as if the word was disgusting. "They don't like my "ungrateful attitude" and they're dragging me across the Atlantic to "straighten me out", as they so lovingly put it." There was silence for a few moments. Then Kae started up again. Morgan let her rant, knowing interrupting to strong-headed girl would be completely pointless.

"If they don't like my attitude they shouldn't have petitioned for guardianship. They met me before they stupid court-ruling and I already made my feelings about them clear. And they still kept at it. And now they're dragging me across the world just because they're jealous of you guys!" Kae kicked the desk and Morgan was barely able to smother a snort of amusement. Kae was throwing a classic teenage fit, which was unlike her, but seeing as she had just been yanked out of her home and was about to pitched across the ocean to a foreign country, Morgan felt she deserved it.

"Where's Spencer?" She asked when she finally took a breath. Morgan didn't answer for a moment.

"He's in the bullpen," Morgan said. Kae blinked and seemed to realize for the first time that she _hadn't_ flung herself down in the bullpen but instead the main office area. This time Morgan did snort with amusement. She glared at him.

"Don't laugh, Morgan," she sulked. Morgan chuckled and stood before pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, Kae," he said. "Let's go unleash your woes on the rest of humanity." Kae sulked again, but she followed him. Garcia, Emily and Spencer were all talking seriously and Hotch was in the corner, talking to someone on the phone. Kae started to pull back.

"If you guys are working on a case…" She started, but Morgan interrupted her.

"We're not," he assured the teen and pulled her into the room.

"Kae!" Spencer noticed her first and Kae immediately proceeded to squeeze the life out of her cousin. Morgan could never get over how much they looked alike. Kae's hair wasn't much longer than Reid's and it was the exact same shade. She had matured since the age of ten when she had first started living with Reid and now the resemblance was even stronger. But while Reid had brown eyes, Kae had green and where Reid's face was clear, Kae's was covered in freckles.

"What are you doing here, sweetie?" Garcia asked. Kae turned her head so it was no longer buried in Reid's chest.

"They're moving to England."

"Who?" Tobias asked, walking in.

"Her guardians," Morgan supplied. "Apparently, they think Kae is ungrateful so they're moving to England to straighten her out."

"They're not even attempting to black mail me," Kae wailed. "It's just up and away!"

"When are you moving?" Garcia asked. Kae scowled.

"Next week," she sulked. "On Monday."

"But its Friday," Emily protested, as if that could stop what was happening to the young girl's life.

"I _know_," she said, heaving a dramatic sigh. "That's why I came by today. _Janice_ said I wasn't allowed to go anywhere until I was packed." The way she said her guardian's name came out as if the very name had insulted her personally and deserved to die.

"Are you packed?" Kae snorted.

"Che, no."

"So why are you here?" Spencer asked his cousin, frowning.

"Cause I wanted to see you guys. And if a court-ruling can't get me to stay away, what makes you think a pansy like Janice can?"

"Kae…" Spencer gave up trying to talk some sense into the younger girl. He moved onto a different topic. "So if Janice can't control you, why don't you just run away before you move?" Kae scowled again. Morgan noticed she was still glomping her cousin.

"'Cause you guys would get in trouble," she said, frowning. "Otherwise I would, believe me." Spencer sighed and ruffled her hair.

"It'll be fine, Kae," he said to her. "You know once you're eighteen you can move back."

"Three years, Spencer," Kae said. "_Three._ They barely let me call you when we're here in the states. Imagine what it'll be like when I'm in England."

"Quiet," Morgan joked. Kae glared at him. "What? You have a knack for attracting trouble."

"I also have a knack for making things disappear," Kae said darkly. "Don't think I can do the same to people too." Morgan looked skeptical. "What? I picked up a few things from Abby."

"Abby…"

"Scuito. Remember? From D.C.?"

"The goth chick?"

"Yeah. You guys wouldn't let me out on the field and Spencer couldn't leave me by myself yet, so I hung out with her during the day. She taught me a few things."

"Like what?"

"Like how to make people disappear with no forensic evidence." Morgan rolled his eyes, clearly not believing her. Two days in a forensic lab wasn't near long enough for Kae to learn how to make people disappear that well, though she had picked up on some of Abby's dressing styles.

Hotch despised bring Kae with them on cases, even though despite her young age, she was better than any of the sketch artists in the entire damn building. But she only came with them during the summer and the entire team remembered a particular case that brought them out to the L.A. area and there they had a met an eccentric psychic named Shawn Spencer.

He was the poster boy for headaches, but Kae loved him and his partner, Gus. And Gus and Shawn loved having a fan. It had only been that past summer and since that case had taken longer than two or three days, Kae was able to pick up on Shawn's mannerisms quickly. And she put them to good use. Well, they weren't good to the people who were on the receiving end, but for her they were good.

Kae wasn't stupid though. The entire BAU team had figured out Shawn wasn't really a psychic and they agreed not to tell the L.A.P.D because half their crimes were solved because of the guy. Plus, that Lassiter guy had been a tight-ass and it only seemed right to have him suffer Shawn.

By now the entire team was in the bullpen and there was silence. They had been sitting there for about an hour, nobody really having anything to do. Kae had gotten a Dr. Pepper from the vending machine and that had been the only activity.

"Will somebody please say something?" She said, twirling around in the seat. "This is killing me."

"You could always go pack," Hotch suggested. Kae stopped spinning and glared at him.

"Over my dead body." She resumed twirling. "I'm not packing any sooner than I have to." At that moment her phone started ring. Kae pulled it out of her pocket and glanced lazily at the screen before slipping it back in her pocket.

"Are you going to answer that?" J.J. asked her.

"Nope."

"Could you turn it off then?" Kae lazily pulled it back out and hit the end button, cutting the "Hokey-pokey" short.

"I thought your ringtone was "When I Grow Up" by the Pussy Cat Dolls," Spencer said.

"Spencer, I'm going to ignore the fact that you know what that song is called and who it's by. Anyway, Shawn messed with my ringtone before we left L.A."

"Why didn't you change it?"

"I like the "Hokey-pokey"."

"Because she has a crush on Shawn," Morgan answered at the same time. Kae sat up straight, her feet slamming into the floor with a 'bang'.

"Do not."

"Yes you do."

"No."

"Yes you do," Spencer said, glancing up from his book. Kae glared at him.

"You're supposed to be on my side, Spencer!" She threw a pencil at him. It bounced harmlessly off his book and landed in his lap. He placed it on the table.

"Kae, I am on your side, but you're sitting in a room full of profilers," he pointed out. "Lying isn't going to do you any good in this building." Kae muttered something under her breath about people mysteriously going blind.

"Kae, behave," Garcia said. Kae looked at her innocently.

"Always," she said. She checked her watch and pouted. "I have to go. I'm gonna stop and see Elle and then call Gideon."

"I think Gideon is home this week," Hotch said. Reid stood.

"I'll drive you," he offered and Kae jumped up, looking thrilled at spending more quality time with her cousin before she moved. Then she frowned.

"Janice and William will probably come looking for me," she said. "If they see you with me, you're screwed." She looked depressed and then proceeded to glomp everyone in the room. She watched them all for a moment before disappearing.

"So…anyone up for a drive to the airport Monday?" Morgan asked.

"I'll call Elle," J.J. said.

"I've got Gideon," Hotch volunteered and the two moved off to make their respective phone calls.

"I'll call Shawn and Gus," Reid said. "I know they really liked her and a phone call from them will help." He half debated calling Abby (Kae had put her number in his phone because she had been thirteen and absolutely convinced they made an adorable couple) but decided that they had only been in D.C. for four days and that had been two years ago.

--

"You've been nothing but trouble since you came here. How that boy put up with you I don't know!" Janice was screeching. Kae was leaning against the counter, slurping a smoothie she had gotten from an ice cream shop and looked bored.

"Maybe I enjoy Spencer's company more," Kae said, using his name just to annoy her other aunt. Janice's eye twitched. She didn't approve of Spencer, of his occupation, of her sister and his mother, of his home…she just didn't approve of Spencer period.

Kae couldn't stand her uptight aunt, of her uptight husband, her pious and spoiled children. She missed Spencer's flat, full of books and a little reading corner. It smelled like old books and pine scent that she associated closely with her cousin. She knew she would miss waking him up on Christmas morning by bouncing on his bed at five in the morning like a little kid until he grudgingly got up, muttering about how vacation was for people who wanted to sleep in.

In the Oliver household, there were schedules for everything. They were always neat and prim and proper. Kae immediately felt out of place in her T-shirts and jeans while William was wearing neat slacks and a polo shirt tucked, looking ready to go to a golf outing. When Kae first saw him like that, she had told him to have fun, hoping to make a first good impression. She may not like them, but she hadn't wanted them to hate her. Obviously she could no longer care less. He had looked at her, confused and asked her what she meant. Kae had became flustered and said she had thought he was going golfing.

Janice had smiled tightly and said that there were dress standards in the house and everyone who resided under her roof had to look tidy. Kae had stared at her in disbelief and said all she owned was jeans and T-shirts. Janice promptly took her shopping. The next day, Kae promptly donated all the clothes to the nearest Goodwill. Needless to say, Kae and her guardians and children weren't on the best of terms.

"You…you…you ungrateful little wench!" Janice looked ready to take Kae's head off. "You stand there, in _our_ kitchen, wearing the clothes _we_ put on _your_ back, eating _our_ food-"

"Actually I paid for this myself. And I think I got these from Spencer," Kae cut across her, looking down at her smoothie and clothes.

"You. Get out of my sight!" Kae shrugged and headed up to the room she was staying in.

She hadn't even left the country and already she hated England.

--

The house was okay, Kae supposed. It was a three story brick house with a black iron-wrought fence. Dark green ivy climbed up the side and she could see white, freshly pressed curtains hanging from all the windows. Wait…curtains? In a house they hadn't even moved into yet?

"Mom, I still don't see why we couldn't just bring our stuff," Chloe huffed, her hip sticking out and not even looking up from her Blackberry. Janice beamed at her daughter, ignoring the same tone that would've gotten Kae grounded for a week. Kae was interested, too, but Janice would've just told her to "mind her own business."

"We got all new furniture, dear!" Janice said, clearly excited. Kae resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, now she wished more than ever that she was back in the states and sketching suspects. All right, it was in the school year so she wouldn't be sketching suspects, but after school she would to the BAU office and do homework in the bullpen even the team wasn't there.

Kae was supposed to have gotten rid of everything, but as usual she ignored Janice and packed. When she found out she didn't have to pack, she immediately started to pack. If anything, she did it just to bug Janice. Kae knew she was acting immature, but she couldn't help it. If Janice and William had wanted her so bad, they had to take all of her; her immaturity, her pride, her stubborn streak and her total disregard for rules. Unless it involved Spencer. She loved and respected Spencer and the team. So she listened to them.

Kae followed the family into the house, carrying a box of…something. She hadn't bothered to mark the boxes and now she wished she taken a little more time to do so. She just knew that somewhere was her comforter, her pillow and her sheets. If Janice thought that Kae was keeping pink monstrosities on her bed, she had another thing coming.

Chloe and Samuel had already claimed the two largest rooms upstairs, leaving Kae with the smallest. Not that Kae was complaining. The smaller the better. She liked the feeling of closeness. She loved being swaddled and warm. She blamed it on her genes. She blamed her insanity on her family back home.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, get down here!" Kae grumbled under her breath and dropped the box on her bed before slumping down the stairs.

"Yeah?" Kae leaned against the wall.

"I hope you weren't expecting any help with your boxes."

"…No…" Of course, if Chloe or Samuel had wanted to bring their stuff, Kae would still be expected to carry it all. Little snots.

"Good. You need to take responsibility for your things around here. You can't expect me to clean up after you…"

"I'll remember that the next time I leave my dishes in the sink."

"Exactly," Janice said with relish before realizing that Kae had never left her dishes in the sink. Kae snorted and walked past her to finish unloading her stuff.

--

There you have it!! Chapter 1! *smiles smugly* please click the pretty green button down below if you have any sense of self-preservation.

No, I'm being serious….and I'm begging. That don't come often.


	2. You're American!

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers!!!! I was so excited when I read your reviews *sqee* 

**Hellobye93**: Thank you very much. It's going to start out a little slow because I don't want her running into SCORPIA on her very first day of school. Maybe second or third after she's had a chance to settle in?

**ChrissyViolet:** I know it seems like a lot of talking, but I want to make sure that people understand how Kae's life works and how she interacts with her new family.

**Akuma-Beast-16:** Don't worry, I'm planning on sticking to this

**Rosie-pye:** Yeah, Kae lives with Spencer Reid …or at least she did

--

Kae was less than thrilled to find out she was starting school the next day. Jet lag was killing her and she was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep when her alarm clock went off. But she didn't. Well, she rolled over and the floor greeted her face with an enthusiastic 'good morning.' She pulled herself off the floor groggily and pulled her uniform. It was a pleated knee-length navy blue skirt with a navy blue blazer and a tie. Really? (A/N: I don't know if that's the actual uniform, be nice and tell me?)

She was the only one downstairs, something she was glad about. She couldn't take Janice and William's early morning routines and rules. She was certain they had a ritual for everything in the house. She ate her toast and somehow managed to find her backpack, brush her teeth and pull her shoes on before Janice came out.

_At least Janice was nice enough to show me where the stupid building is and to get me a bike._ However, Kae felt more than a little awkward wearing a skirt and riding a bike, but the way she saw, the streets were empty and she needed to book it if she wanted to find her way around the school before everyone started showing up.

It took Kae about ten minutes to get to the school and another ten to find the administration building. She locked her bike up and when she finally found the building, the school grounds were starting to show signs of life.

She pushed the door open, shly. A motherly-looking woman was sitting behind the desk and looked up when the door opened. Kae shut the door quietly and stood just inside, regarding the woman curiously. She was middle-aged about and single. She was neat and methodical, Kae noted. She had a cat and she loved children. _Stop profiling her_, Kae snapped at herself. She stepped forward.

"Good morning, dear," the woman said smiling. "How can I help you?"

"I'm new, ma'am," Kae said, her eyes flicking over the neat desk and the plants and pictures. "I need my schedule."

"Ah, yes. You're…Elizabeth McGregor, correct?" Kae winced at the use of her first name.

"I prefer Kae, ma'am," she said.

"Of course," the woman said. "I'm Ms. Bedfordshire." She fished through her drawer and opened a file. _Oh, please don't let that be my file,_ Kae shuddered. Ms. Bedfordshire frowned as she flipped through the file, but her expression cleared as she found what she was looking for.

"Here's your timetable," she said, handing a piece of paper to Kae. "Now, don't go causing trouble on your first day, dear." Her tone was slightly teasing. Kae found herself liking the woman already.

"I would like to point out that half of the incidents in there are not my fault," Kae said sweetly. "And I call it keeping things lively." Ms. Bedfordshire chuckled as Kae left the building, now frowning at the schedule and thinking, _what the hell?_

--

So absorbed Kae was in her schedule she failed to look where she was going and walked straight into a boy with spiky black hair, who was only a little taller than her. She fell back and landed on her butt. The boy turned, his eyes wide and he took her in.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't see you!" Kae chuckled as he reached down to help her up. He was friendly, but he was under stress. He played some sort of sport. He was polite and from what she could tell, if the little trinkets on his body was any indication, a flirt.

"Don't apologize," she told him. "I'm the one who walked into you." The boy's eyes widened.

"You're American!" He exclaimed. He pulled Kae to her feet easily. Kae raised her brows at him.

"Really? I could've sworn I was French." The boy cracked an easy grinned. "I'm Kae." Before the boy could answer, a new voice interrupted them.

"Terrorizing the new girl, Tom?" Kae jumped and spun around to face a chest. She looked up at a boy with blond hair and serious brown eyes. He'd seen a lot. Too much for his age. He has a scar on his arm, so he probably gets injured easily, he plays a sport as well. From the haunted look in his eyes, he probably has nightmares about what he's seen…Kae's profiling was interrupted by her mental beatings and Tom's voice.

"Nonsense, Alex," Tom said, grinning. "Can't help it if the ladies keep falling at my feet." Kae raised her brows yet again.

"Falling at your feet?" She repeated amused. "You only wish I was." Tom stuck his tongue at her and Kae was startled at the childish act that she just stared for a moment before cracking up.

"Kae, this is Alex," Tom said. "And vice versa."

"What? I don't get a proper introduction?" Alex smirked. Tom slung an arm around Kae's shoulders.

"Sorry, Alex," Tom said. "Shrink some, grow a chest and then we'll talk." Kae giggled and watched them. Tom knew what was going on with Alex, she was certain. They were close, as close as brothers and…STOP, KAE!!

"Sorry, Tom, but you're not my type," Alex said and turned to Kae. "You're American, aren't you?" Kae grinned.

"Yeah," she said.

"My housekeeper's American." Kae perked up instantly.

"What's her name?" She said. She didn't think she would know her, but if she was anything like Alex, then she had to be better than Janice and William.

"Jack," Alex said.

"Is short for something?"

"Dunno. She won't tell me," Alex said. Kae chuckled.

"Do you know how old she is?" Alex frowned.

"She won't tell me that either."

"If a woman tells her age, she'll tell anything," Kae said sagely. Tom and Alex gaped at her. Tom slipped closer.

"Kae do you think you could explain the inner workings of the female mind to us?" He whispered in almost reverence.

"…Uh…"

"Great! See you at lunch!" Tom ambled away, leaving a bemused Kae and an amused Alex. She turned to him, her forhead scrunched up in confusion.

"Was that an invitation?" Alex smirked at her. Kae found herself disliking that smirk. It was cocky or arrogant, but she didn't like it when people smirked at her. It made her feel like she was out of the loop or tiny.

"Yeah," he said. Kae was about to say something when someone shouted across the lawn at them.

"Hey, druggie, leave the new girl alone!" Kae turned to Alex, confused.

"Druggie?" She asked, wrinkling her brow. "Why do they think you're a druggie?" He was way to fit to be a druggie, and his eyes weren't bloodshot and he certainly didn't act stoned. Alex shrugged.

"I get sick easily," he said. "So I'm not at school a lot. They don't believe me." Kae looked him up and down and smirked. It wasn't quite the same as when he smirked at her because he could look down on her, due to the fact that he was nearly a head taller. Kae had to look up to talk to his face as opposed to his chest.

"I don't believe you either," she said. "But I also know you're not a druggie."

"Yeah? How do you know?" Alex challenged. Kae winked and tapped the side of her nose.

"Cause I'm special like that," she said smugly. Then she changed subject, looking down at her schedule. "Sooo…do you know where Mr. Grey's room is, by chance?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "It's mine and Tom's homeroom." Kae brightened up. How lucky was she to have the same homeroom with two guys she met? The fact that they were friendly was definitely an added bonus. And good-looking. Mustn't ever forget that. "Need a guide?"

"Yeah," Kae said, relieved. "I do, thank you." Alex started walking. Kae had to walk a little faster than her normal pace to keep up with his long strides. Alex slowed down a bit and Kae was grateful.

"So, how come you moved to England?" He asked her conversationally as they walked. Kae shrugged.

"Meh, my guardians moved here," she mumbled, her face darkening as she thought of the situation she got landed in. Alex decided not to push it, but instead opened the door for her to Mr. Grey's classroom. He watched her face change from confusion to surprised delight at his action. Slightly amused, he led her over to where Tom was sitting.

--

School was hell. Especially with jetlag. Kae groaned as she heaved her heavy book bag over her shoulder and proceeded to unlock her bike. She waved goodbye to some people she had met before wheeling her bike to the sidewalk. No way was she going to ride her bike back to the house. She just wasn't that good.

When she got home, she was surprised to find the house completely empty. She looked around somewhere for a note, but couldn't find one. Almost absently she reached for her phone and called Chloe's number. The phone rang once…twice…three times and then she picked up.

"What?" She snapped.

"Yeah, nice to hear your voice too," Kae drawled. "Where are you?" She wandered upstairs to her room and dropped her bag on her bed.

"Out."

"No kidding," Kae yawned, flopping down on her bed. "Couldn't have figured that out for myself. Do you know when you'll be back?"

"Later." Kae hung up, grumbling about snot-nosed cousins and got started on the mountain of homework.

Okay, sorry this is so short!!! It's really slow too, but it'll pick up next chapter I promise!!! Review!!!


	3. Of Pointless Points & Terrorist Attacks

Kae was beginning to enjoy England. Not that she would admit it. And if she did, you didn't hear it from her. She sat with Tom and Alex at lunch and in homeroom and the two kept her in stitches with their antics. During classes that she didn't share with one or both of them, other groups had welcomed her in.

She'd been in England for nearly a week. It was Friday and it would be her first weekend in England. She tapped her pencil impatiently against her notebook. It was nowhere near the end of the day, but chemistry was so boring! She doodled absently in her notebook. Ms. Forte appeared at the tip of her pencil and having nothing other to do (heaven forbid she take notes) Kae began adding wings and fangs. Alex, who was sitting next to her, suppressed a quiet snort. He scribbled something on his notebook and tilted it so she could see.

_A little bored, are we?_ Kae smirked and pulled his notebook towards him.

_Just a little. Besides, you're not being much more prestigious than I am. _Alex rolled his eyes.

"_Prestigious" is big word for you. Besides, my notes are more complete than yours._

_That is a pointless point (1)_

…_? A pointless point is a nonexistent point._

_Pointless point_

_Wack-job_

_I blame my cousin._ She pushed the notebook back towards Alex and copied something from the board. Before she could finish writing, though, the teacher erased everything from the board.

"Damn," she whispered. She looked at Alex. "Can I borrow your notes?" Alex rolled his eyes at her and pushed his notebook over where Kae began hastily scribbling in her own notebook. She glared at the doodle of Ms. Forte as though it was responsible for her irresponsibility. She noticed Alex looking at her messy handwriting.

"What?" She hissed defensively. "I'll straighten it out later." Alex only chuckled as she shoved his notes back at him.

"Sure you will," he muttered. Kae stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature."

"I'm a mature person. What can I say?"

"Miss McGregor!" Kae jumped and faced the front. "Mr. Rider! Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

"No ma'am," Kae said sweetly, leaning on her doodle in case the teacher decided to walk back to them. "Just asking Alex if I could see his notes." Ms. Forte glared at her, obviously catching the insincerity undertone, but she let it drop and returned to her lecture. Tom laughed silently at them from across the room.

"Now ionic compounds-" Before she could continue, however, the door burst open with a gun firing into the ceiling. Students screamed and dropped to the floor like rocks. Alex had moved slightly quicker than the rest of them and had managed to halfway pin Kae under him.

"Alex," she grunted. "I appreciate the chivalry, but you're really crushing me." Alex glared at her. "All right fine, no jokes."

"Just stay down," he hissed at her. He could see she was scared, but she was handling it rather well. He looked around, trying to see if he could find Tom among the desks. Alex found him and their eyes met. In Tom's eyes was an unspoken question. Alex shrugged slightly and looked down at Kae, who was watching them with a frown on her face.

Before she could say anything, however, the person at the front of the room spoke. His voice was smug and arrogant and Alex watched Kae frown again as she listened to the man speak.

"That's right. Stay down and we won't hurt you," the man announced. Kae cocked her head. "We're looking for one person and once we have them, we'll leave. In the meantime, nobody looks up or you all get shot." Alex pulled out his phone and dialed the one number he swore never to dial. MI6.

SCORPIA was behind this. He was sure of it. Kae pushed on him again and Alex realized he was still on top of her. He shifted slightly and she pushed herself up on her forearms. She peered around the desk, just barely before turning back to Alex.

"They're not wearing masks," she mouthed. Alex frowned. Why weren't they wearing masks? Then again, he mused, they _had_ told everyone to keep their faces to floor. He saw Kae's hand sneaking up to the desk. He grabbed her wrist. She frowned at him, protesting silently, but he just shook his head and peered around the desk. When he saw that both the men were conversing quietly and paying only a little attention, he released her wrist and her hand flashed up, grabbing a notebook and pencil. Alex frowned at her again, but Kae only flipped open to an empty page and began sketching.

Tom was watching them and he frowned when he saw Kae drawing. Alex craned over her shoulder, but she elbowed him quietly in the chest, looking faintly annoyed. Alex sat back frowning. Why weren't the men calling his name?

He noticed his call had gone through so he began speaking quietly into it. Kae was too absorbed in her work to listen to what he was saying, but he noticed several other students watching them through teary eyes.

Alex finished conveying information, but was unsure if anyone had heard it. Meanwhile, Kae started whispering quietly.

"The dominant one is arrogant," she whispered. "The best way to stop him is through flattery. He likes his ego being puffed up." Alex listened closely. He expected her to say more but she had returned to her sketch.

"Would Alex Rider please come to the front of the room." It wasn't a question. Almost everyone's gazes flew to Alex. Kae looked up at him in surprise, but showed him what she had been sketching. It was a sketch of the men. Down to the freckle under the first man's nostril. This made Alex feel better. If he got abducted before MI6 got here (which probably happen, he thought dryly) then they had something to go off of.

"Alex Rider, we're waiting," the man called in a long-suffering voice.

"H-he may not be in this room," the second man.

"He's the submissive one. He'll be able to take out or turn," Kae whispered. "But I think you already figured that out." Alex had figured this out, but he wasn't sure why Kae was telling him this. It seemed like the girl was always reading people and sometimes during lunch she would spout off little bits of info randomly like, "Laura is going to break up with Daniel" or "Kaycee is having trouble at home."

"He's here," the man growled. "ALEX!" Alex stood calmly. Kae grabbed his hand and tried to yank back down.

"Are you crazy?" She hissed. Tom used the distraction to crawl over to them. Kae turned to him. "Tom, what is he doing?" Tom placed a hand on her shoulder. Kae was starting to show how scared she really was. "What do they want with Alex?" Before Tom could answer, Alex was walking swiftly to the front of the room.

"Very good, Alex," the man said approvingly. "Now, _originally_ we were supposed to take you with us and our leader would finish you off, but our orders changed." Tom and Kae were peering around the desk cautiously, but the men were focused on Alex. The first man raised the gun to chest level…

"NO!" Tom yelled and darted up, followed closely by Kae, who snatched her chemistry book off the desk and threw it across the room. Unfortunately, her aim was a little off and it bounced harmlessly off the blackboard, but it provided the needed the distraction. Two other boys and a girl had followed their lead and were standing also. The men turned to face them just as the door burst open and SAS agents burst through the door.

The bigger of the two men darted toward the window and he looked back long enough to glance at the standing students. Kae smirked slightly and held up her notebook, showing the man his portrait. Then she dropped to the floor again with Tom and the rest of the students.

--

Tom, Alex, Kae, James, Luke and Jessie sat in front of Mrs. Jones, deputy director of MI6 a few hours later. Alex looked angry, Tom worried, Kae worried, confused _and_ angry (that last one was mainly because she didn't know what was going on and that irked her. Greatly.) and Luke, James and Jessie were confused and a little scared.

"I need you to tell me exactly what you saw," Mrs. Jones instructed. Alex looked mulish. Seeing that nobody was going to speak, the American spoke up.

"I have sketches of the men…" She trailed off when Mrs. Jones looked at her hard. This lady's stare could be unnerving.

"May I see them?" Kae handed over her notebook uncertainly, unaware of the trouble she was getting herself in. "Miss McGregor, where did you learn to draw like this?"

"It's just a talent," Kae stammered. Then scolded herself to buck up. "I've been drawing like that my whole life." Mrs. Jones nodded.

"I see," she said. "If we were able to get you descriptions, could you draw the rest of the attackers."

"Maybe," Kae said, crossing her arms. "Who were they?" She thought she saw Alex smirk slightly, but when she glanced over, his face was expressionless and like a mask. Where did he learn to do that? Kae found herself slightly jealous.

"A terrorist organization known as SCORPIA," Mrs. Jones said. Kae nodded thoughtfully. Mrs. Jones took in her reaction. "You've heard of them?" Everyone was staring at her now. Kae shrugged. Inside she wanted to go crawl up in a corner and die, but she was American! She had more pride than this! So she shrugged, pulling a cool façade.

"Maybe…" She trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging. "Why were they here?" She knew it had something to do with Alex and she knew Tom knew, but she wasn't going to bring up in front of the other three.

"We're not sure," Mrs. Jones lied smoothly. "In the meantime the six of you are in danger."

"Please, ma'am," Jessie said, speaking up. Her voice was incredibly quiet. "What are we going to do?" Mrs. Jones looked at the girl thoughtfully.

"I've spoken with my head," she said. "We've arranged for you to be sent to an SAS training camp known as Brecon Beacons." Alex looked like he had something sour in his mouth. Kae would've been amused if the situation hadn't been so serious. "You'll stay there until we're certain the threat has been neutralized." Tom nudged Alex, who smoothed out his face again.

"Have you told our parents?" Luke asked. Mrs. Jones nodded.

"I have," she said. "They're incredibly worried, but they've agreed to our solution." Kae was unable to suppress a snort, thinking of Janice and William. Everyone looked at her.

"Sorry," she said, shrugging. "Just thinking…" She changed topic. "When are we leaving?" Mrs. Jones looked at her carefully.

"We're sending you to your house to get some things you'll need. Here are lists," she explained, passing out six sheets of paper. "Of things we recommend you bring. Cell phones are not permitted and personal phone calls are for emergencies only."

Kae glanced down at her list: sturdy shoes and clothes, pajamas, personal hygiene items…The list went on and on. Some of it was basic overnight stuff. Others Kae thought were completely random, but understood they would be necessary. She came to one item of the list: torch. What was that? She leaned over to Tom, who looked at her curiously.

"What's a torch?" She stage-whispered. Alex's mouth twitched and the other three were looking at her like she was crazy. Mrs. Jones only watched her impassively, but Kae wasn't worried about her. She was trying to get the other three to loosen up and relax.

Tom started chuckling. They started in his belly and worked their way up and then they were loud guffaws. Kae looked past him at Alex.

"Seriously," she said. "What are they?"

"You-you nutty Americans…" Tom choked out. "C-call them 'flashlights'!" Kae sat back in her seat, pouting. Tom's loud laughs settled down to quiet chuckles.

"You guys are the nutters," she said. "Torches are the wooden sticks that you dip in some flammable fluid and light on fire."

"Actually that's not how you make torches," Alex said. Kae smirked at him.

"So enlighten me, O Wise One," she retorted. Mrs. Jones cleared her throat and everyone looked back at her.

"You will be dropped off at your homes and will be given an hour to pack," Mrs. Jones said. "A jeep will come around to pick you up." They nodded and she stood. A grim-faced man in and escorted them out to the courtyard. Students were watching from the windows curiously.

"Look, we're famous!" Tom said. "Smile and wave, boys and girls!" He did a mock bow to the students, only to have Alex yanked him toward the nondescript black car. Luke and Jessie slid into the front seat, leaving Kae, Tom, Alex and James to cram in the three-person backseat. Kae ended up half on James' lap and she couldn't stop blushing. It didn't help that whenever she looked at Tom and Alex, they wiggled their eyebrows suggestively and did kissy faces. Kae could kill them and not wait for SCORPIA to come finish the job.

It was with relief when they first pulled up to her house and Kae clambered over James out of the car. The driver waited until she was inside before pulling away. Nobody was home as Kae ran upstairs to get a duffel bag. She piled the stuff they recommended in before grabbing her sketchbook and pencils and stuffing them in the bag with difficulty as well. Then she grabbed her phone and iPod. The phone was against the rules, but they never said anything about iPods…Kae suspected they meant 'leave all electronics at home', but in her opinion, if they couldn't specify, they could deal with it. She grabbed a couple pictures as well, not sure why, but she did.

Kae had to unpack and repack several times before the stupid duffle bag managed to close and by the time she was finished, the jeep was waiting. Kae shut the door to her room and ran outside. She was the first one to be picked up and she jumped into the back of the jeep. Two men were riding in the front seat and scowling at her. She grinned cheekily and winked.

Next to be picked up with Jessie. The small girl struggled with her bag and Kae helped her load the bag into the jeep. Jessie climbed in with a quiet 'thanks' and sat across from her. The wind whipped around their faces and made talking next to impossible.

Then came Tom. He came running out the door and didn't even walk around to the back of the jeep. He simply ran to the side and hauled himself up. He used his duffle as a seat. Kae glared at him and muttered, "show-off." Tom ruffled her hair and Kae leaned her head on his shoulder. Tom joked about her needing her nap and received an elbow in the side for it.

Luke and James lived next door to each other, though they weren't close. They walked at a brisk clip, neither of them speaking. Kae thought they looked rather formal and she suppressed a snort. She'd seen them in class a couple of times with their own group of friends and they were like Alex and Tom. They climbed in and silence reigned once more as they left to pick up Alex.

Alex walked sedately around the back and took a seat next to Tom. Kae noticed a pretty red head standing at the door watching Alex, a look of worry wrinkling her pretty features and she was hugging herself. Alex gave a small smile and a wave. Her face relaxed slightly and didn't shut the door until the jeep pulled out of the drive way.

"Is that your housekeeper?" Kae asked around Tom at the next stop light. Alex nodded and Kae leaned her head on Tom's shoulder again before falling asleep.

I actually got the pointless point from a newsies fanfic called Frenzy by AngelicToxin. So disclaimer on that, because that is not mine.

Next chapter it's actually at Brecon Beacons!!!!! And I need someone to bounce ideas off of…preferably someone who watches Criminal Minds, sorry. So if you're interested just give me your PM…I'm only goin to chose one so that there's not a lot of confusion.

Now, you should probably click the Review button and make me happy so I update


	4. Embrassing Moments and Pokey Springs

**PureAngelEnchantress:** Thank you! Yes, her name is pronounced like the letter K. Her name was originally Kai but then my sister told me that was male, Japanese name so I had to change it lol.

**ObsessivelyOdd:** Well, I'm glad I could help out there . I'm actually a little surprised that I got far enough to post it, but I'm definitely planning on finishing it out.

**Marie Elaine Cullen:** I'm doing my best to try and keep Kae from becoming a Mary-Sue. I think part of the reason Kae seemed a bit like a Mary-Sue is because she's been in dangerous situations before, so she's able to handle herself a little better than most kids. I'm planning on making her have problems with authorities, but if you can think of some other ways and let me know, that would be a _huge_ help.

**Venlar:** Thanks for the tips!! I'll keep putting in more emotions in mind. Let me know if I do better! And if you could also throw in some tips about keeping Kae from becoming a Mary-Sue also, that would amazing. And I'm glad you think that about my writing  Makes me happy

When Kae woke up, her hands were freezing, her nose and ears were freezing. And she was wet. Extremely wet. She blinked and lifted her head up from Tom's shoulder. They were still driving, but instead of the city it was some random back road. Which is probably why she woke up. It was so freaking bumpy!

Tom's black spikes were sagging, looking sad. Kae pushed myself up off him and wiped what seemed like a never-ending stream of water from her face. It was drizzling steadily, but it sure didn't seem like it in the back of the jeep.

Kae looked at the tall pines on either side of the road. Tom caught her gaze and grinned, though everyone looked miserable. Except Alex. He sat there looking calm and collected, as if he did this every day. She wondered briefly about this before turning her attention to the other three. Jessie was hugging herself, trying to get warm and James and Luke were trying to help and warm her up, but they were so wet, Kae doubted it was really doing any good.

They heard the camp before they saw it.

She didn't really take that as a good sign.

They all saw the manor up on the hill and she felt a brief flash of hope that they would be staying there. Then she reminded herself to be practical and not to set herself up because they probably wouldn't let a bunch of teenagers stay there. She still felt hopeful that they would though. Until she saw Alex's face. She didn't know why, but she could tell from his face that they weren't going to be staying there. Her curiosity was piqued even more. Who was Alex Rider?

When they pulled through the gates, five men came stalking up to the jeep. The teens piled out and grabbed their stuff, looking at each other uncertainly as the men approached them. They were big and scary and mean-looking and big and tough and all right, incredibly fit, and glaring and big. Did Kae mention big at all?

The man in front hadn't even reached them before he started yelling.

"LISTEN UP!" He shouted. "THIS IS THE REAL WORLD! WE'RE NOT HERE TO BABY YOU! YOUR MUMMIES ARE NOT HERE TO HOLD YOUR HANDS!" He paced up and down in front of them. His voice was a little quieter when he spoke next, but not by much. "Now, I can't bin you, as much as I would like you, and we'll have to make allowances due to your age and in case of the girls, because of your gender. But that doesn't mean you get to complain! If I hear one whisper of a complaint, you'll all be on kitchen duty! IS THAT CLEAR?!"

Kae shuffled her feet and joined in the feeble 'yes sir' the small group ground out. The sergeant glared at them.

"That. Was. PATHETIC!" He screamed. Kae marveled briefly that his voice hadn't cracked once for all the screaming he'd been doing. Then she paid attention. "When I address you, you will answer 'Yes, sir!' This is not _daycare_!"

"Gee, you could've broken the news more gently," she muttered. Unfortunately for her, the sergeant heard her. He glared at her and Kae forced herself not to take a step and to look the man in the eyes.

"Do you think you're funny?" The man spat, getting right up in her face. Kae cringed as some spittle landed on her cheek. She wiped it off and glared at the man.

"No, sir," she said. "However, I do think it's a little obvious that this isn't a daycare center…sir." The sergeant glared at her before shouting to one of the men behind him.

"EAGLE! Take this clown on a little jog," he snarled. He glared at Kae. "You can take your bag with you."

Okay, so _maybe_ pissing the soldiers off before she'd even been there five minutes wasn't the brightest thing Kae's ever done. She picked up her duffel bag, now regretting having packed so much. Kae wasn't in the best of shape and she knew before they even started her bag would be too heavy.

Eagle didn't go easy on her. He slowed his pace a little, but by the time they had finished, it was dark and Kae's muscles were burning her lungs were screaming. She was ready to collapse but it was sheer pride and determination that made her not stop until she reached Eagle.

He didn't say anything to her as she panted. She doubled over, placing her hands on her knees. Her breath came in wheezes and gasps and coughs. He only spoke when she had straightened.

"The sergeant needs to see you," he said emotionlessly. Kae wondered briefly how he knew that before figuring that this had already been arranged beforehand. Unless the sergeant just wanted to tell her what she missed. But somehow she figured he was the type of man who would make her figure it out on her own.

Eagle led her to the sergeant's office. Kae was covered in dirt, sweat and rain. She was shivering and she was certain almost everything in her bag was soaked. She stepped inside and Eagle stood at attention by the door. The sergeant didn't look up. Kae shifted from side to side, trying to get a little feeling back into her soaked feet. Maybe next time she'd wait until she got the army boots, if they got them, to mouth off the soldiers.

Finally the sergeant looked up and he looked less than pleased to see her, though Kae could see it in his body language. Ah, the advantage of being raised by a team of profilers. Almost nothing was hidden from her. Kae spoke cautiously, not wanting to risk another seven mile run. Eagle had almost gleefully informed her of the length and Kae almost hadn't been able stop the groan that threatened to escape.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" The sergeant glared at her. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Eagle tense almost indistinctly and knew instantly she'd done something wrong.

"Yes," the sergeant said, letting it slide past this time, something for which Kae was grateful. "Mrs. Jones called. She said she had some people she wanted to you to draw." He shoved a piece of paper across the desk at Kae, who picked it up and studied it. "Apparently it's descriptions from other brats who were stupid enough to look at the attackers." Kae frowned at the incomplete list. Tall? That didn't help her at all. 'Cleft chin' helped. So did 'narrow face'.

"Where are the other students, sir?" She asked, not tearing her gaze from the paper. One of the attackers was a woman. Huh. Normally it was only men that did this sort of thing.

"Well, considering the attackers didn't see _them_, MI6 felt that they didn't need to be placed into protective custody." Kae bristled at the word. She hated that word. Custody. It made her feel like an object. "Mrs. Jones also said to inform you that you are currently at high risk." That got Kae's attention.

"What? Why?" Seeing the glare, she added grudgingly, "Sir."

"Well, apparently you were stupid enough to let the attacker _that got away_ see the sketch you drew of him." Oh…yeah…Kae had forgotten about that. _Nice going, moron,_ she berated herself.

"May I ask one more thing? Sir?"

"What?"

"What about our families? She didn't say anything about them."

"They've been taken to a safe house."

"What about…" Kae cut herself off. There was no way SCORPIA would care enough about a drawing to go after Spencer. Besides, MI6 would inform the US government of the threat, she was sure. She realized the sergeant was waiting for her to continue. "Never mind."

"Another thing. I believe you were told that mobiles aren't allowed." Kae's jaw dropped.

"How did…how did you know?" She stuttered, already unzipping her bag to reach in and get. The sergeant held up his hand.

"Keep it," he growled. "I'm not going to be responsible for your crap." Kae zipped the bag back up, remembering the saying "Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth." "I don't want to see it though."

"Yes sir…" It was cold. Kae was freezing. She clenched her fists and shoved them in her pocket, trying to do her best to ignore the burn in her neck where the strap was cutting in and had rubbed during the run. She couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body.

"I hope you learn some respect." The sergeant had looked back down at the report he was filling in, wishing now that he hadn't said that just so he could tell Eagle to take the American to her cabin.

"I'm sure it'll sink in at some point, sir," her voice answered drily. There was silence for a moment.

"Eagle, take her to cabin." He didn't pay attention as they left.

It was pouring when they stepped outside. Kae no longer cared if she showed she was cold. She readjusted the strap around her neck and hugged herself. Eagle walked a leisurely pace and Kae was certain he was doing it just to make her miserable. It was impossible to tell in the darkness. She probably would too if she had been forced to take someone on a seven mile run, she admitted to herself grudgingly, glaring at the SAS soldier.

Kae didn't say anything to Eagle when they approached the cabin. It looked more like a little hut to Kae, but at the moment, in her mind, it was warm and dry and if there were leaks, Kae was going to ignore them because it was warm and dry in her mind.

She burst into the cabin only to be met with the sight of three boys changing, two of which were rather lacking in boxers. She reeled back, her hand automatically going to her eyes. Tom, James and Luke jumped in surprise at her sudden arrival, though Alex simply sat on his bed, bent over his homework.

"Holy shit!" She yelped, slamming the cabin door shut so she was left outside. She turned around to look for Eagle, certain he had taken her to the wrong cabin, on purpose or not. He wasn't there. She was certain her left eye started twitching when she heard his laughter somewhere in the distance.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" She couldn't help scream out into the darkness. A minute later, Tom opened up the door, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. Kae felt her own cheeks color and they stood there awkwardly.

"Hey, um, you can come in now," Tom muttered, looking anywhere but her face. "We're all decent." Kae nodded and he stepped back. She knew her cheeks were coloring even more and soon she would be purple. Or at the very least a really dark red. (1).

"Thanks," she muttered, staring determinedly at the floor as she walked in. "Um…"

"You and Jessie sleep behind the partition," Alex supplied in answer to her unspoken question. Kae nodded and looked up long enough to find the part and slipped through it. Jessie was looking at her, mildly amused.

"You're face is incredibly red," she said mildly. Her voice was incredibly quiet, but Kae had learned earlier in the week that that was just how Jessie talked. Kae dropped her duffel on the empty cot and yanked off her shoes. She sat down and looked at their fourth of the cabin.

Since there were four guys, they got more space, so there wasn't a whole lot of room to move around. Kae yanked her pajamas out, glad she had packed warm pajamas.

"Yeah, I know," Kae replied. "It used to happen a lot at my other school. People would just have to stare at me and I'd turn whatever shade it is now."

"Puce," Jessie supplied helpfully. "It's puce. She picked up some folded clothes that had been sitting on her bed. "Here's your uniforms." Kae took them and shook one out.

"Any idea on how to put them on?"

"No…" Jessie said. Her eyes lit up in mischief. "You could always ask one of the guys…"

"We can hear you, you know!" James said, cutting their conversation short. This time both girls colored and Kae hastily yanked on her baggy pajama pants and baggy sweater.

Jessie was already ready for bed and she had slid underneath the covers. Kae followed suit and winced at the hard mattress. She didn't know it was possible for mattress to be this hard! There was something poking her side…Kae rolled over and just before the lights went out, she saw a spring poking out of the mattress. Damn it.

Okay, tell me what you think!!!!! Did I do better this time? Venlar, do you mind if I bounce ideas off you? It's okay if you do, but I need opinions and my sister isn't any help.

My friend Rachel really does that and that's where I got it from. It's funny because all you'll have to do is stare at her and she turns purple lol


	5. Black Eyes and Stubborn Teens

After a restless night, during which Kae rolled everywhere short of the floor to try and avoid the spring, someone came in at five in the morning. Kae was sleeping lightly, always painfully aware of the spring. At one point in the night, she had gotten up and turned the mattress over. It didn't do any good. The spring continued to poke her.

"ALL RIGHT, KIDDIES! EVERYBODY UP!" Kae groaned and pulled her pillow over head. No way was she getting up right now. Across from her, Jessie did the same. She lay there for about two seconds, then the partition was ripped down and the blankets yanked off her and Jessie. The cold air invaded Kae's space and she shot up.

"HEY!" She shouted. "What if we hadn't been decent?" The soldier stopped and grinned at her…Kae shivered. It was an evil-looking grin.

"It's a good thing you are then, isn't it?" He smirked, stepping closer. Kae grimaced and took a step back, wishing she had thought to put on socks. The floor was freezing!

"Okay, fine we're up," she said coldly (literally), wrapping her arms around her and shivering. "Do you _mind?"_ The soldier stepped back and left the cabin. Grumbling, she and Jessie picked up the partition and hung it back up. The guys flicked on the lights. Kae blinked and mumbled something about soldiers and sadists. Jessie said a quiet "amen" in agreement. Kae looked at her in surprise.

"You're religious?" She asked. Jessie smiled slightly and nodded, showing Kae a simple cross hanging around her neck.

"Luke is my cousin," she said. "We both sing at our church." Kae nodded thoughtfully as she wrestled with her uniform, starting to swear and then looking at Jessie sheepishly. Jessie nodded a thank you and managed to get her uniform on before Kae, having gone slower and taking more time to figure everything out.

"Do you need help?" She asked Kae, amusement twinkling in her eyes. Kae nodded sheepishly and Jessie showed her how to put the uniform on. "So, you're American?" Kae nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I moved over here with my…guardians."

"You don't like them." It wasn't a question.

"Nope," Kae said amiably as they finished getting Kae's uniform on. "Are you all decent?" This was directed to the guys.

"Yeah," Tom's voice said. Kae could've sworn she heard him mutter, "No thanks to Alex" and while it made her snicker, she had to wonder about it.

They all headed out to the mess hall and while they walked, Kae studied them. James carried himself with a confident swagger. It wasn't cocky, it was just confident. Though she had talked to him a couple of times and his tone oozed cockiness and arrogance. It bugged Kae, but she knew she could be just as bad. He had wavy brown hair and blue eyes. He was in good shape and tall, taller than Alex. To Kae that said a lot, although she was the shortest in her class back home.

Luke and Jessie, she had gathered were naturally quiet. Jessie was tiny and looked like a strong wind could blow her over. She enjoyed romances and always seemed to have her head in the clouds, though Kae had seen her tongue in action once and it wasn't a pretty sight. Luke was tall and wiry. He played football…Kae had to keep reminding herself it wasn't American football…though he wasn't very good and was benched a lot. She felt bad for him.

Tom had a carefree manner, his arms swung loosely and his steps were light and bouncy. She'd only seen Tom serious at a distance and that was when he and Alex were off talking by themselves. Alex normally looked a little disturbed during those times, but Tom somehow always managed to cheer him up. There was something going on in Tom's home life, Kae could tell by the bags under his eyes and the slightly fearful, angry look in his eyes that were barely perceptible unless you looked for them. Which Kae did. She'd grown up looking for them. They had been there since the day she arrived.

Alex…She could glean nothing from him. Unless he was bantering with Tom or her, his face was an emotionless mask. He answered questions with questions or answered everything and nothing at once. It frustrated her. Tom just drove you insane if you asked. Kae knew because she had asked. He would answer with the most insane answers and then leave so confused, you wondered if he had actually ever answered the question.

They entered the mess hall when Kae realized that unconsciously they had all been following Alex. The thought startled her and she paused, causing Tom to turn around and look at her. His dark blue eyes met her bright green ones and he frowned.

"Kae?" He questioned. "Are you all right?" Kae nodded and smiled at Tom. He decided then was a good time to tease her. "Nervous?"

"Me? Nervous?" Kae laughed with bravado. "Don't make me laugh."

"That's the oldest line in the book," Tom informed her.

"Funny, that's what you said yesterday about "that's my name, don't wear it out," Kae pointed out to him. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Cause you're about to enter a mess hall full SAS trainees," Tom said. Kae smirked as they walked through the door.

"You're just jealous," she yawned. They got in line. The noise had quieted for a moment as the teens entered and the soldiers took them in. A couple sneered and there were more than a few derogatory comments.

"You'd have thought they've never seen teenagers in a camp before," Luke joked quietly to his cousin. Jessie smiled and got in line behind Kae. Kae looked at what she supposed was food and followed James and Alex to an empty table where Tom was already sitting. Kae was secretly glad that she hadn't been first in line, because even though she knew the soldiers were watching their group, they would have been watching Tom the most, just because he was first.

Jessie sat down and Kae sat next to her. She noticed Jessie unconsciously crossed her legs at the ankles and tucked them under the seat. Kae straightened her posture when she saw Jessie sitting up straight. She didn't want the soldiers to think that she was just the average teenager, even though she was.

"What are we doing today?" James asked in a carrying voice. Kae slouched down in her seat slightly, no longer caring if they thought she was an obnoxious teenager, though she was certain her flaming face had negated that notion quickly. She was incredibly embarrassed. Several heads turned at his voice.

"Probably endurance," Alex said quietly, picking at his food. James sneered at him.

"How would you know, Rider?" He said loudly. Alex looked up at him and Kae saw a flash of anger in his eyes.

"I don't," he said. "You asked a question. I offered an answer."

"I wasn't asking you," James shot back. Kae sighed. There's one in every crowd. By now, even though they were all still talking, they had the attention of every unit in mess hall. She saw the way the boys' fist clenched and decided to intervene.

"James, that was a general question, ya know," she said. "You weren't asking any one person specifically." James glared at her.

"You would stick up for him," he spat. "Druggie Rider, he's sidekick and his whore." Kae shot up out of her seat, her knife clenched in her hand. The mess hall noise level had died down a little.

"_What_ did you just call me?" She hissed her eyes narrowed. Everyone at the table was tense and utterly silent. She switched her knife for her fork, figuring the three tines would do more damage than the one blade. Plus, the tines were duller than the knife so it would hurt more. James sneered at her. Everyone was deadly silent.

"I said," he began again, standing as well. "That you're a _whore_." Kae briefly considered pulling a stunt she had read in an Animorphs book where Rachel shoved a fork into a traitor's ear, but decided that breaking his nose would be much more effective. Her fist flew across the table. Her aim was off a bit however, so she only succeeded in managing to give him a black eye. James fell backward over the bench. Very calmly, Kae stood up on her seat, stepped across the table and stepped down in James' vacant seat. She picked up his water glass and very slowly and deliberately poured it over his face.

"Next time," she said sweetly. "Keep your dirty language to yourself."

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" A furious voice demanded. James' eye was already turning black. He scrambled up to his feet. Kae recognized the soldiers from yesterday who had been with the sergeant when they got off the jeep. She only knew Eagle's name, though. The rest of them she drew a total blank.

Kae retreated into a sullen silence, glaring at the floor. She would've shoved her hands in her pockets if she had any…or if she did she had yet to discover them. Seeing that Kae wasn't going to talk, a Hispanic looking man who was clearly the leader turned to James, who looked cowed.

"She just attacked me, sir," he said. "I was just asking if anyone knew what we were going to do today…" He trailed. Kae snorted.

"You're a God-awful liar," she told him. "I'm not _that_ unstable." Hispanic Man turned back to Kae.

"What's your story, then?" He sneered. Kae looked up at him calmly. She spent almost her entire life growing up with Hotch. He was going to have to do better than that glare.

"He called me a whore," Kae said succinctly. "So I punched him." Eagle looked like he was trying not to grin. She shot him a venom filled glare and his lips twitched before his face transformed into a serious frown. The man's face twitched, but Kae wasn't sure whether he was amused or even more ticked off.

"Kitchen duty, the both of you, starting tonight. Be by the obstacle course in ten minutes," he threw over his shoulder before stalking off. Kae walked around to her seat, shaking slightly. They finished eating in silence and they left the mess hall.

Hispanic Man, as Kae had dubbed him, was waiting impatiently as they approached. Once again, Eagle and two other men that Kae didn't recognize were waiting with him. Unsurprisingly, Hispanic Man started yelling as soon as he saw them.

"WHAT IS THIS? A SUNDAY STROLL? GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!" He bellowed. The group picked up the pace and soon they were standing in front of him. "All right, you have twenty minutes to complete the course on your own. The second time and then on, you'll be working as a team. This is what we'll be doing all morning." Jessie risked a question.

"What will we be doing after that, sir?" She asked quietly. Hispanic Man glared at her. She flushed and ducked her head.

"You'll find out when we get there," he snarled. "You!" He pointed at Tom. "Start off." Tom nodded and jogged to the obstacle course. One of the other men blew a whistle and Tom took off. He leapt over a hurdle and disappeared around a corner. James walked cockily up to the corner next. Kae scowled, feeling a huge amount of satisfaction at his black eye.

"Get back here," Hispanic Man snarled. James stepped back, surprised. The soldier pointed at Alex. "You go next." The man seemed to talk to Alex with his eyes. Alex stared back stonily. Annoyed, the man gestured and the whistle blew.

"Did you see that?" Kae asked Jessie, frowning. Jessie frowned, looking at the taller girl.

"What?" She asked. Kae shook her head.

"Never mind," she said. "Must've imagined it." She frowned though, caught up in her thoughts. Alex knew the man, she was certain of it. She vowed to ask him about it later.

"I wonder if they know that Alex had appendicitis," Luke said, frowning. Kae looked at him, surprised.

"He did?" Luke nodded.

"It was less than a year ago, just before Christmas holidays last school year," he said. "It could possibly still aggravate him." Kae cocked her head to the side.

"Are you going to be a doctor?" She asked. Their conversation had attracted the attention of the fair-haired soldier, though none of them paid attention.

"I hope to be," he said. "My dad wants me to become a preacher, but God isn't really calling me to preach." Kae felt a little uncomfortable. She had never heard anyone talk about their faith so openly. Luke noticed and gave a small smile of apology. "I won't apologize for talking about my faith," he said quietly. Kae blushed.

"I'm sorry," she blurted. "I've just never heard anyone be so open about it, that's all." Luke chuckled and was about to reply when Hispanic Man called him over. He nodded to them and left.

"Hey, Jessie, what are their names?" Kae asked. "I keep coming up with ridiculous nicknames." Jessie giggled.

"That one's Eagle, but you already know that. The one in charge is Wolf. That one right there is Fox and that there is Snake," Jessie whispered, pointing them out. She was blushing slightly.

"You have a crush on Snake, don't you?" Kae whispered to her teasingly. Jessie's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"N-no," she stuttered. Kae noticed all of the men but Wolf moving away. Wolf called Jessie over and Jessie gave a small wave as she went to start the course. Kae noticed only her and James were left. When Jessie disappeared around the corner, Wolf turned to the two teens.

"Since you two seem to have trouble getting along," he said. "You're paired up for everything until you can learn to work together. You help each other with everything from swimming laps to getting food. If you don't, there will be serious repercussions." Kae decided he was enjoying this way too much. "Starting now." He blew a whistle and the two of them took off running. Kae reached the hurdle first, which surprised her, but her triumph was short-lived as her foot caught on it and she fell face-first in the mud. James sprinted by her without stopping.

The rest of the course continued in much the same way. One of them would mess up and the other ignored them. The onetime Kae tried to be the bigger person and help James up, he had snarled at her. Kae decided to ignore him after that.

Wolf was downright furious when the two of them showed up. Especially because Kae was so far behind James. Kae guessed he had been watching from the sidelines in a jeep or something.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" He thundered. "YOU'RE GOING TO END UP GETTING EACH OTHER KILLED!" He yelled at them for a few more minutes before marching them back to the beginning of the course where the others were waiting. He turned to Eagle.

"These two won't be joining them," he snarled. "They'll be doing it together on their own. Everything will be done on their own." At this both teens erupted into protest, mindless of the consequences.

"What?"

"You can't be serious?"

"I can't stand him/her!"

"She'll slow me down!"

"He's impossible!"

"They're getting along already," Eagle said, pinching his nose. "SHUT UP THE BOTH OF YOU!" Both teens fell into a surly silence. "You heard him, now get over it. Now…stand over there and bond however it is teens bond these days."

"Ew…" Kae said. "I'd rather not."

"My sentiments exactly, McGregor," James snapped. Kae's eyes narrowed.

"It's _"Reid",_ A-hole," she snapped. "I'm _not_ a McGregor." She turned and stormed away to where Eagle had indicated. James grumbled under his breath and followed her. The two stood as far apart as they could without getting in trouble. James muttered something under his breath, which caused Kae to turn to him and smack him.

"Don't hit the lady," Eagle yelled before James could retaliate. James' mouth opened and closed several times, his face turning red. Kae just looked smug. Finally, he closed his mouth. Eagle, satisfied that the boy wasn't going to break one of the long withstanding codes of etiquette towards women, turned away and blew the whistle.

"I'm surprised Rider is doing this at all," James muttered. Kae turned back to him, but this time she was curious.

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.

"He's a druggie," James snorted. "He's got multiple scars. Don't tell me you've never noticed."

"He wears long sleeves all the time," Kae defended herself. "How am I _supposed_ to notice?" But she had. She had seen a scar up by his neck and when his sleeve slipped back on his arm occasionally, she had noticed. She had noticed and asked, but received no answer.

"YOU TWO! GET GOING!" Eagle shouted.

--

Endurance was next. Kae had by now gleaned from James, when he wasn't taunting her about being obsessed with Alex, that Alex had been "sick" a lot the past year and had been gone for extensive periods of time. She even learned that he had been missing for a few weeks the past summer.

For a sickly teenager, Alex was in incredibly good shape. She noticed he was trying to not be noticed. The way he sometimes slowed down in sprints or pushups. But they had gotten past all that and were now heading to the lake.

Jessie looked ready to hyperventilate. Luke had pulled her off to the side gently and was rubbing soothing circles in her back and talking to her quietly. Snake noticed, and being one of the nicer members of the unit, went over to find out what was going on.

Kae, being the nosy person that she was, subtly moved closer as well, pretending to look at something across the lake.

"She's scared of water," Luke said, his arm wrapped around Jessie's shoulders. "Her parents drowned at sea when she was nine." Snake looked uncomfortable and left to quietly consult with Wolf. Wolf scowled as Snake talked to him, but nodded.

Jessie got to sit out on the lake.

Once again, Kae and James had to swim together. They weren't actually expected to help each other, just swim side-by-side.

Unsurprisingly, Alex finished before them all.

James and Kae finished last. Kae was embarrassed because she was the least fit out of all of them and it showed. James was taunting her about it until she sweetly pointed out that he looked just as bad as her because he came in next to her.

--

"Alex? Can I talk to you?" Kae asked. She had ten minutes before she and James had to leave for kitchen duty and she didn't know if she'd have a chance to talk to Alex again that night. Curious, Alex followed her. Kae walked about twenty feet away from the cabin and turned to face him.

"How do you know Wolf?" She asked bluntly. Alex stared at her, his eyes blank. They unnerved Kae, but she stared back into him. There was silence for several tense moments while Alex weighed her. Apparently she hadn't passed because he shrugged and lied.

"He was an acquaintance of my uncle," he said. Kae scowled and crossed her arms.

"Bull," she spat out. "You know the rest of the unit too. Were they all acquaintances of your uncle?"

"Yes." Kae huffed in frustration.

"Is it really that big of a secret?" She questioned, annoyed. "How you know them? Because I know you're lying, blank expressions or not."

"Yes." Now Alex sounded a bit curious. "How do you know I'm lying?" Kae scowled.

"I'm not answering your questions until you answer mine," she snapped, storming past him. Alex grabbed her arm.

"Kae…" He said, looking at her. "Just let it drop." Kae stared at him before answering.

"No." His grip tightened.

"Kae," he said. "Your life will be easier if you do."

"Alex," she said, mocking him slightly. "Those people want me dead because they were looking for you. They want us _all_ dead because they were looking for you. I'd say that my life couldn't get much harder if you told me."

"Just…just let it drop, Kae," Alex said. He wasn't asking. It was a command. Kae felt herself stiffen at his tone.

"You don't control my life, Alex," she snapped. "I'm not letting it drop." With that she yanked her arm out of his grasp and stormed towards the mess hall.

There you go! The next chapter will be short…mainly focusing on James and Kae in the mess hall. Please review!!!


	6. Mess Halls and Stalkers

Okay, first of all, my deepest apologies to **AmyAlways**. I meant to respond to your review in the beginning of the last chapter but because I wait until after I write the chapter to respond to any review, I didn't get a chance to respond because my sister kicked me off.

**Ovo Lamp:** Thank you for your review. There will be some more space between her profiling moments, but for the most part it was so you could learn more about the other students. I'm glad you like Kae so much *Glomps*

**AmyAlways:** Thanks for your review! Those bed springs are a little annoying, aren't they?

James and Kae were tossed hairnets the minute they walked in the door. The cook was a big scary man. Kae was starting to wonder if there was a law somewhere that said all SAS soldiers had to have their faces stuck in a permanent glare.

"Can you cook?" The question was directed at Kae, who was busy tucking her hair under the net. She looked up, startled.

"If by cook you mean keep as far away from the food as humanly possible then yeah, I can cook…" The cook grunted, annoyed, and directed James to watch the food and sent Kae to go serve the soldiers as they came in.

They were noisy and Kae wasn't sure if she was wrinkling her nose at the smell the soldiers were emitting or the smell of what was supposed to be food. Either way, neither the cook nor the soldiers appreciated it and she received several taunts and more than one soldier waving their body odor her way. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. So mature…

Kae brightened up a little when she saw her classmates, but she and Alex exchanged nothing more than a nod. Things might have been a little tense between them…

Tom grimaced when he saw the hairnet and Kae demonstrated that she was more mature than the soldiers by sticking her tongue out at him. He laughed at her. Kae resisted the urge to give him the finger. Mainly because Jessie was right there.

James came up to join her, muttering about "bloody insane army cooks". Kae smiled and when the next soldier came through, Kae shifted the ladle full of hot food over James' hand and spilled a little bit. He yelped and jerked her hand away. Kae dropped the food on the soldiers tray, smirking.

"Oops," she said. "Do be careful, James. I'm sure first-aid has better things to do than worry about your burns." James glowered and ground his teeth together. As the next soldier came through, though, he returned the favor. Kae hissed as the hot food spilled over her gloved hand and she resisted the urge to dump the next ladle-full over his head.

"You know it's your fault," she informed him. She spooned some food onto a soldier's tray.

"How is this _my_ fault?" James snarled.

"If you hadn't called me a whore, then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Maybe next time you should keep to your own business," James snapped. Kae glared at him, almost forgetting to give the solider waiting food.

"It _was_ my business," she snapped back, accidentally spilling some food on the counter. She swore and wiped it up. "You asked a general question, Alex answered and you got mad. It's not my fault you're stupid."

"Are you getting along yet?" The arguing teens stopped and identical glares from hell snapped to Wolf. A lesser man would've been intimidated. However, Wolf was not a lesser man and was therefore only amused. Not that he let them know of course. That would be unprofessional.

"We're getting along great, fine, peachy-keen," Kae grounded out. "_Sir._" Wolf smirked. Kae deliberately gave him less than the other soldiers. Eagle came next, smirking at her. This time Kae didn't resist and gave him the finger.

"Kitchen Duty for the next week, McGregor," he sang, looking all-too-thrilled with her predicament.

"It's _Reid_," she snapped.

"Disrespect gets you another week." Snarling, Kae gave him even less than Wolf. She gave Snake and Fox generous amounts, though. They hadn't wronged her yet. She smirked as she heard Eagle complain at the lack of food on his tray. She made sure he caught her eye before she winked and disappeared into the back of the kitchen to get a refill on one of the trays.

--

James and Kae were starving. But before the cook would even consider giving them food, they had to do the dishes and clean the mess hall. Kae filled a bucket with hot soapy water and hauled it out to the main room. James instantly claimed washing the tables and Kae groaned as she looked at the mud-caked floor. They didn't have a mop at SAS, apparently.

"I think you should wash the floor," Kae told James. He smirked at her.

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Because your family is down there. The dirt and scum is crying, "Uncle James, we missed you! Come join us again! It's a family reunion!" That's why you should wash the floor." James scowled.

"Cute, McGregor."

"What part of "Reid" do you not understand? Am I speaking English? Or are you only fluent in the language of stupidity?" She shook her head. "Let me put in terms that your simple mind can comprehend. Me Reid." She pointed at herself. "Me not McGregor."

"I'm not stupid."

"Really? Than what are you? Because you being intelligent just doesn't really seem to fit." The two of them were ignoring their jobs and glaring at each other. They would've stayed like that if the cook hadn't entered the room and yelled at them to get busy.

Grumbling, Kae got down on her hands and knees and dunked a sponge into the water before scrubbing furiously, muttering obscenities about James under her breath. The rest of the evening passed in silence as the two of them worked, occasionally shooting hate-filled glares at each other. Kae comforted herself with the fact that even though she had to do kitchen duty tomorrow, James wouldn't be there and there were all sorts of nasty things she could do to his food.

They didn't get any food. The cook had growled at them to leave as soon they had reentered the kitchen, soaked (courtesy of a mini-water war), tired, hungry and sore. The teens had started to protest, but one look was enough to change their minds.

They crossed the lawn, bickering the entire way. Some soldiers lounging around outsider their cabins wolf-whistled and jeered as the teens passed them. Kae was furious by the time she reached her cabin and she banged the door open and didn't even bother to make sure the guys were decent. She just stormed to the partition and disappeared behind it.

--

He watched them bicker as they crossed the lawn. But his focus was mainly on the girl, noting the boy and dismissing him. While boys were sometimes fun, this one wasn't his type. He watched her yank her hair out of the messy ponytail it had been in since that morning and felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him as the wind shook it out, freeing it from its confines.

He was torn…torn between the two girls. On the one hand, the one was quiet, small and surely to be an easy win. On the other hand, the girl he was currently observing was bold, loud and a fighter. A challenge…

"Hey, you all right?" His teammate shook the man from his thoughts. He turned and grinned easily at the man.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Pass me a fag(1), would you?"

"I thought you were going to stop?" The man's voice was disapproving. He shrugged and reached around his teammate for one himself. He popped it in his mouth and lit it. His eyes resumed trailing the girl. She stormed ahead of the boy and slammed into her cabin, disappearing from his sight.

*Gasps* Jessie and Kae have a stalker!! :O What'll they do? Who is he?????????

(1) For those of you that don't know, if Britain, a fag is a term for a cigar/cigarette (I can never keep them straight), not a gay person.


	7. Phone Calls and More Stalkers

Okay, I am thrilled to death (and all right, a little surprised) that none of you thought it was Snake. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

**Ovo Lamp:** I hate to break it too you but cannibalism is not allowed in my stories. I do allow murder, maiming, torture and causing creepy stalker dudes to disappear without a trace, however. I'm glad you like Jessie so much, though. I personally like her lol.

**ScOrPiA pOiSoN:** You know, I'd never thought of it that way. I didn't even realize how much I had them interacting lol. That's not a bad idea, though…hmm. Now at the risk of sounding like an idiot, in just what way do you perceive him to like her? Just curious because now I'm considering adding that as a twist in my story.

--

SCORPIA moved quickly. MI6 thought they had all the families taken care of, that all of them were in safe houses. They were…except one.

Boris had informed them of the situation. The girl had sketched a picture of him. He had been killed for his incompetence. He may have been one of their best, but he had gotten sloppy lately. They had spoken to him and the last assignment had been a test; to see if he would get his act together. He hadn't. He must've known what was coming because after he'd been debriefed and they let him walk out, he went straight to a church. The sniper killed him while the pastor prayed over him.

He was waiting on the fire escape, opposite of the man's house. He was barely more than a boy, early twenties, but he had seen his fair share of horrors in his career. The man straightened up as the boy entered the apartment building. He shut the door behind him and set some files down on the table before shedding his coat. The chill night air of September didn't bother the man. It was a distraction. A distraction he could ignore.

He didn't know the boy's name. Nor did he particularly care. Never personalize your victims. This man wasn't going to kill him, but to personalize victims, no matter what the assignment, was dangerous. You grew attached and then your conscience started to tickle. If you didn't crush your conscience early on, you failed.

He had observed the boy the last three days. Every night, he came in, took off his coat and headed to straight to the window to open it all the way. The man wasn't sure why. It wasn't like the air was the cleanest. (1) But for some reason it soothed the boy. The man wasn't complaining. It simply made his job easier.

Like clockwork, the boy came over to the window. The man set the gun more firmly against his shoulder, not bothering to aim. He didn't need to. Like clockwork, the boy unlatched the window and lifted it. The man waited until the window was all the way open before pulling the trigger.

He watched a look of confusion cloud the boy's face and watched as he lifted a thin hand to his neck, where a feather was poking out. Then he collapsed. The man didn't wait. He attached the gun to his belt and then leapt from his perch on the fire escape to the window across the alley. He pulled himself into the apartment and bound the boy's wrists and ankles. He paused long enough to drop something on the table on top of the files and then threw him over his shoulders in the fireman carry. Then he carefully lowered himself out the window and dropped onto the dumpster below, making no sound.

A black car pulled up at exactly 11:53. The man threw the boy in the back seat and then climbed into the passenger seat. He twisted around in his seat to gag the boy and to make sure his bonds were still secure.

At exactly 11:54, the black sedan pulled away. No one was any the wiser.

--

"Hey, J.J," Morgan called, trying to get the attention of his blond teammate. "You seen Reid?" J.J. look over at him and shook her head.

"No," she answered. "Did you ask Hotch?"

"Not yet," Morgan replied. "Something ain't right, though. Reid' always here by seven." J.J. agreed silently. Reid was never late. He had been at first when he had first adopted Kae, but other than that, Reid had always been punctual.

At that moment Hotch walked. Apparently he noticed too, because the first words out of his mouth were, "Where's Reid?" Morgan and J.J. glanced at each other.

"He didn't call you?" Morgan said, his brow wrinkling in a frown. Hotch went to his desk to check his messages. After a minute he shook his head.

"No," he said. "I'm going by his apartment." Morgan stood up instantly.

"I'm going too," he said. He was worried about the kid. He looked at him like a little brother and it scared him to death every time Reid walked in front of some psycho, trying to placate them.

They pulled up in front of Reid's apartment building and buzzed. No one answered. A young woman approached and started to let herself in.

"Excuse me," Hotch said. "Do you live here?" The woman turned to them, startled.

"Yes…" she said hesitantly. "Why?"

"Do you know a Spencer Reid?" The girl nodded, brightening a little at his name.

"He lives right next door to me," she said. "Why? Who are you?" She was frowning at them. Hotch flipped his badge.

"Special Agent Hotchner, with the FBI. Reid is a coworker and he didn't show up for work this morning." The woman studied the badge carefully before nodding.

"I'll let you in," she said. They followed her up two flights of stairs. "Sorry about this. The elevator's been out for about a week now. That's Spencer's apartment." She pointed to the door and Hotch knocked.

"Reid? It's Hotch," he called through the door. Nothing. Morgan tried.

"Reid? C'mon, man, open up," he said. There wasn't any response. The woman hovered behind them, worried. Hotch and Morgan looked at each other, came to a silent agreement and both reached for their guns. The woman kind of gasped. They ignored her. Hotch nodded at Morgan and Morgan kicked the door open.

The two men moved through the apartment, checking each room. Morgan walked over to examine the table. The files from the case they were working on, a serial rapist, were on the table. On top of the files was a piece of paper that was folded up.

"Hotch," Morgan said. He put his gun in his holster and picked up the paper. He unfolded it. The symbol meant nothing to him. It was a silver scorpion. But they both knew one thing.

Someone had kidnapped Reid.

And someone had to tell Kae.

--

Kae wasn't a happy camper. She was sore, tired and her side hurt from where the spring had poked her the last couple of nights. Plus she was sweaty and dirty, but she had only enough time to clean off her face and change her uniform before heading over to the mess hall to help with dinner. Tonight she would be working alone, thank goodness, though she wouldn't be able to take James' sneering face.

Tonight the cook set her to stirring the food and making sure it didn't burn. She stirred the slop idly and let her thoughts drift. They drifted from her classmates to Alex, to James , to the feeling she was being watched to Spencer. Geez, she missed him. She wondered what the team was doing right now.

Kae had slipped her phone into her pocket (she had been happy to discover that the uniform did in fact have pockets) and left it on vibrate. She heard the soldiers yelling and talking. She knew that any minute that her group would be coming. She was slightly grateful that the cook had put her back here. Her pride was already wounded enough.

She grimaced as she thought over the day's events. She had tripped and landed in the mud in front of everyone, had finished last in everything once again and then had managed to land herself another week of kitchen duty. She hadn't thought that Snake would hear her when she said that he tended to PMS like a bitch. So sue her, she needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.

Kae jumped when she felt her phone vibrate. She glanced quickly at the cook, who was preoccupied with talking with a bunch of the soldiers, so she slipped out the back door and checked the caller ID. It was Morgan. Grinning, Kae flipped her phone open.

"Morgan!" She said, thrilled.

"Hey, Kae." He sounded tired and worried. Kae forced herself to calm down.

"How are you? Is Spencer there? Can I talk to him?" She blurted. There was silence for several tense moments. "Morgan…?"

"Kae, I'm calling about Reid." Kae felt her stomach drop.

"What about him?" Her rate started to pick up as she thought of numerous different scenarios. He had been a car wreck, he finally managed to set the apartment on fire…

"He's gone." Kae thought she felt her heart stop.

"What? Gone? As in…dead?" Her voice broke on the last part.

"He very well could be," Morgan said. "He didn't show up for work this morning. We went to his apartment. It was empty."

"Is the profile…is the profile anything like…like Thomas's?" She said, her voice wobbling dangerously. Morgan sighed.

"There is no profile."

"What do you mean there's no profile?" Kae said, her voice rising. "There's _always_ a profile, Morgan. Where's my cousin? Where's Spencer?" Tears were threatening to spill over.

"There isn't, Kae. His apartment was completely empty and everything untouched. The window was open…"

"Spencer always opens the window when he gets home from work," Kae interrupted.

"And there was a piece of paper that wasn't in the files."

"What was on it? What did it say?"

"There was a scorpion on it. That was all. Kae, we're doing the best we can, but so far we have no leads." Kae felt like her world stopped. Spencer was gone…he could very well be dead…and for some reason Kae felt like that scorpion symbol should mean something, but she couldn't figure it out. She hung up without saying goodbye. She put the phone back in her pocket and walked back inside, numb.

Nobody noticed anything was amiss until black smoke began pouring out of the kitchen. The cook dove to the back of the kitchen to find Kae standing next to the pot, coughing and waving the smoke away. The soldiers and kids evacuated and the cook dragged Kae outside, yelling at her all the way.

Kae didn't respond. She just stood there staring at the ground, something that shocked everyone. Normally she would be staring back at whoever was yelling at her or she would be making a smart-ass comment. They watched as she raised a sooty hand to her mouth and bit it. That's when they realized she was crying.

It was around this time the sergeant stepped in with brilliant timing as usual. He demanded to know what was happening and that's when Kae exploded.

"What's happening?" She screamed at him. "What's happening? What's happening is my cousin is missing because _your_ government is too incompetent to tell my government that one of their citizens is in danger from a high-level terrorist organization who wants us all _dead!_"

He watched the girl impassively from the side. So the man had completed his job. How the girl had found out so quickly was a real mystery to him. But it wasn't his job to ask questions. It was his job to dispatch the main targets: the girl and the Rider boy. Then he could focus on the rest of the brats at his ease. He would then disappear. He frowned as he watched the sergeant and Wolf lead the girl away while the rest of the unit herded the rest of the children back to their cabin. Security would no doubted be tightened around the children. Well, all that did was advance his timetable a little. They wouldn't be looking at their own soldiers, but they would be looking into the disappearance and that would eventually that would lead to him. He didn't want to be around when they discovered there was a mole in their very own SAS.

--

:O Where's Spencer? Who's Thomas? More importantly, who's the random dude watching from the sidelines? (I'd be very disappointed if none of you can figure it out)

1 I don't know the first thing about Quantico, VA, so sorry lol

Also, sorry if this chapter seems to be going a little fast…I wasn't sure how else to make it soooo any ideas for dramatic chapters such as this one (or future chapters, that's good too) are very much welcomed. In the meantime it's that pretty green button down there that you want to click on.


	8. Worry Is An Ugly Color

This a shorter chapter but it's to give you some insight to how the others are feeling and what's going on in their heads.

**PureAngelEnchantress:** I hope this chapter gives you some insight to others. I'll probably start doing more chapters like this or where they start focusing on the others and what it is they're doing and how they're feeling. Thanks for pointing that out!

**Ovo Lamp:** Thanks for the idea! Sabotage is good…*muses quietly to self*

---

Jessie bit her lip. Kae had been gone almost all evening. For some reason, the K-Unit, minus Wolf who was with the sergeant and Kae, had been posted as guards outside the cabin and one of them always walked with the students if they needed to use the bathroom or something.

She was worried for Kae, but at the same time, she thought of her own family. She and her older brother Paul had been living with Aunt Chessie and Uncle Mark since she was nine. And she knew that her aunt and uncle wouldn't go into hiding. Not willingly. Uncle Mark was the preacher at her church and he knew God would protect them no matter what. Jessie knew that too, but it didn't stop her from worrying.

The atmosphere inside the cabin was tense, silent, downcast…Jessie didn't think there were enough adjectives in the world to describe it. For once the boys weren't rowdy. They were talking quietly on the other side of the partition. Luke had come back at one point to talk to her, but she very gently turned him away, saying that she wanted to be alone.

The last week had been hard for sure. Jessie played volleyball and they had to go through some tough drills, but nothing like this. She woke up every morning stiff and sore, her stomach growling. The showers were cold and there was hardly any down time. What free time they did have was spent doing homework that the school had sent for them.

Jessie sighed. Her cross dangled from her clasped hands. She put her elbows on her knees and leaned her head against her hands, another small sigh escaping her barely parted lips. She couldn't see around the curtain of red hair the swung down. That was just what she needed.

_The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want…_

--

For once, Tom Harris was subdued. Of course he had wondered how Kae had found out about her cousin when she was supposed to be in the kitchen. But then his thoughts flashed briefly to his parents. Sure he was mad at them, but he didn't want anything to happen to them. The boys had ceased their conversation several minutes ago. Luke was continually shooting concerned looks at the partition where his cousin was concealed.

This hadn't been anything like he expected. The fact that they were in danger hadn't hit him until Kae started screaming at the sergeant, grief and terror twisted up in her face. He had been excited to be training where Alex had before he became a spy. At first it was fun and games. An extremely tough game, but a game nonetheless. But after two days the reality sank in that they weren't there for fun. But he still hadn't got it that they were in danger.

And then Kae…He'd never seen her cry. He'd only known her about two weeks and she was like an open book. He knew when she was upset, which wasn't that often…only when she had been thinking about America, he guessed. He had wondered time after time what was back there that she missed so much, apart from the obvious familiarity and friends. Now he knew it was her family.

Where were his parents? Were they in the same house? Tom smiled wearily at the thought. They would kill each other. SCOPRIA wouldn't have to worry about them because they'd take care of each other for the organization. Were the families all in the same safe house? Or were they scattered around the country? Were they still even alive?

Tom glanced briefly at Luke. He had bowed his head. Tom could see his lips moving in a silent prayer, his eyes shut and he was unconsciously twisting a ring. A purity ring, Tom guessed.

For once, Tom wished he was religious because he didn't have anything to cling to and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of worry.

--

James was lying back on his cot. He didn't really like Kae, but seeing that look of raw anguish made him feel slightly regretful for anything he had put her through. He roughly pushed that thought aside. Kae was tough. She could handle herself.

He didn't particularly care for his father. His mom had died when he was three in a fire. His dad was a drunk and James spent almost no time at home. You'd never guess it the way he acted at school. There he was confident, popular, smart and played serious soccer.

But he'd been in the childcare system a few times. It wasn't pleasant, but he always came out on top. If this SCORPIA killed his father, they'd probably be doing him a favor. He wouldn't have to come in at midnight, creeping quietly past the living room to make sure he didn't wake his father.

That was part of the reason he despised Rider so much. The boy was a druggie and James couldn't stand people who do that to themselves. But he didn't act like a druggie. Here he seemed resigned and he did everything like he knew it like the back of his own hand. Plus James was jealous of him. Rider was always competing with him for his position on the football team and the coach had to split the games between them because they were both so good.

He glanced at Rider. Rider was quiet, serious and looked like the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. He hadn't joined in their conversation, but instead sat quietly regarding everything with a quiet confidence that everything would work.

James wished he could have the confidence. He didn't know where Rider got it, but for once he was inclined to trust the slightly smaller boy.

--

Luke was trembling. He was trembling all over. He always did that when he was nervous, scared, anxious…any of those negative emotions, he trembled. He hated it, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was worried for Jessie. She had retreated behind the partition. Normally it was left open except at night and in the morning, but she had walked in and shut it. He had tried to talk to her but she had wanted to be alone.

He was worried. Worried about his father, his mom, his older cousin Paul and his older brother Nathan. Jessie was the youngest out of them all. He wondered where they were, how they were doing…Most of all, he wondered why God was letting this happened.

Luke didn't normally struggle with his faith…but this time, this was intense. This was terrifying. And right now he had to be strong for Jessie, who was probably dealing with it better than he was. He bent his head to pray and subconsciously started twirling his ring, a habit he had since he had first slipped the ring onto his finger.

--

Alex was shaken. Of course he didn't let it show. But he was. Their families were supposed to be safe. But from the sounds of it, MI6 hadn't informed the American government of the danger and now Kae was rattled, and terrified.

Now he was sitting on his bunk, watching the other boys without them knowing. Luke was praying, Tom was shifting restlessly and James was lying absolutely still on his bunk, his face almost as emotionless as his own. Except James still showed emotion with his eyes. Alex could read regret, anger and fear in his eyes.

He was angry with MI6. That was understandable. They were supposed to protect the families. But then again, he'd never had them for being very reliable. Several past missions had been proof of that. He watched Fox pace past the window and sighed. They were getting restless, he could tell. No longer were they scowling like they normally did. Now worry and concern colored their faces when the kids couldn't see them. Worry and concern colored their eyes when the kids could see them. He heard them talking quietly to someone outside the unit. Worry and concern colored their voices.

It was an ugly color.

--

The girl was gone. It made him miserable to see how sad she was. But he couldn't see her anymore so he had wandered over to the cabin to "see how the kiddies were doing". They stopped and talked to him for a few moments. He tried craning his neck to see if he could see the redhead but she was hidden behind the curtain.

After a while, he said goodbye to the unit and left. He would watch after the girls. They needed him, whether they knew it or not. Someone had to protect them. The government was doing a horrible job and now the girl was upset because her cousin was missing.

He would protect them.

They needed him.

They _loved_ him.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there's chapter 8. Stalker dude's back. Who is he?????


	9. Locked Doors and Footballs

**Ovo Lamp: **That's kinda what I'm going for…the idea isn't actually mine. I got it from a Criminal Minds episode XD

**PureAngelEnchatress:** Well, I try. I'm not sure how on earth I'm going to make this story work but…I try lol

**Chloe Griffin:** Thank you! And if I told you that it wouldn't be a secret *Taps side of nose and winks*

--

Kae had been led away by Wolf and the sergeant. She had tried to stop the tears, but they kept flowing. She hugged herself and she could tell that the soldiers walking with her were distinctly uncomfortable. They had probably never had to deal with a crying teenage girl before. Hell, they'd probably never had to deal with a crying teenager period.

At one point when they were walking to the sergeant's office, she had felt eyes burning into her back. She glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see one of her classmates watching her, but her eyes had quickly latched onto a soldier's. There was something in his eyes; something she couldn't indentify. She had seen it before, but she couldn't remember what it was. Then her eyes had drifted to another soldier. He was wearing a blank expression, something that didn't surprise her. She spent most of her time wondering if the soldiers were even human. She frowned, wondering why she had picked him out. Lots of soldiers were staring after her. She shuddered. Apparently the sergeant and Wolf thought she was going to start sobbing uncontrollably again because they hurried her into the office and then left.

That's where she'd been sitting for the past couple of hours. The sergeant had questioned her and then he and Wolf left. She had stopped crying ages ago. At one point she had gotten up to try the door because she didn't want to be in there any longer. It was locked and for some reason, that made Kae start crying again.

Dully, Kae amused herself by sitting in the sergeant's swivel chair and twirling herself around slowly. She was tired. She was hungry. She was bored. Her stomach was in a knot about Spencer and she felt like she wanted to be sick. She wanted to curl up and sleep and when wake to find out all this was bad dream. That she was still in America, that Spencer was going out with someone from the team on Saturday morning. For her to wake him up when he ran late for work. Morgan always told her that Spencer was never late for work. Kae said he had superpowers then because there was more than one occasion where she had to get him up twenty minutes before he had to leave for work.

"Maggot, why are you in my chair?" The voice was deadly calm. Kae stopped spinning abruptly and turned slowly to face the sergeant.

"Because I'm bored, sir," she said dully.

"Maggot, unless you want to be stuck on kitchen duty the rest of your miserable stay here, I suggest you _move_." Kae stood and walked around the desk. Wolf was standing by the door. She slouched down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk.

"Thank you, sergeant, I'll take it from here." Kae recognized the voice of Mrs. Jones. She heard the sergeant leave and presumed that Wolf had stayed.

"Kae, first of all I would like to say I'm sorry," Mrs. Jones said. Kae snorted.

"For what? Not telling my government that the one relative I actually care about might be in danger? Oh, no problem at all." She heard Wolf growl at her disrespect. Ah, so he was still there. She felt slightly pleased, like she had just figured something out. She slipped her hand behind her back and flipped him off. He growled again. "What, exactly, is being done to find my cousin, Mrs. Jones?"

"Our contacts in SCORPIA have already learned that their intention is not to kill Mr. Reid. At the moment they are trying to discover the location of where he is being kept. We believe it would be somewhere near their home base, in Venice."

"If you know where their home base is, why is SCORPIA still in existence?"

"Because SCORPIA has several branches and people to head them. If one head were to die, another branch would simply come in and take over."

"…"

"Agent Hotchner requested I give this to you. Something to take your mind off Mr. Reid." Mrs. Jones slid a file folder across the table. Kae flipped it open and almost snorted. It was a serial rapist file folder. She resisted the urge to snort. Most kids got toys or drank to take their minds off their troubles. Kae looked at BAU case files. "And then Agent Morgan said to give you this…" She handed over a badly wrapped package. Kae stared at it before taking it. If Morgan thought about playing one of his pranks by giving her underwear with the days of the week on it, she was gonna kill him.

"Thanks…" Kae said. She wasn't going to open it here, that was for sure. If it was something embarrassing then she would open it where it was just her and Jessie.

"He said that you should open it as soon as you received it," Mrs. Jones said. Kae resisted the urge to say something nasty to her because she could tell the woman was serious.

"Of course he did," she mumbled under her breath. She felt the package carefully. It was oddly shaped and Kae poked a hole in the paper and peered through it. Determining there was nothing embarrassing concealed within the package, she pealed back the rest of the paper. And gaped.

Apparently Morgan had realized what would be going through her head. He had sent her a football. She carefully pulled the box away and held it. Morgan had gotten her into football when she was ten. He had started inviting her to his family reunions and every year they played a game of football. Apparently Mrs. Jones didn't know what it was.

"What is it?" She asked, somehow managing to not sound stupid.

"It's a football," Kae said. She tossed it from hand to hand, staring at it like she'd never seen one before. Finally she crushed the box and shoved it in the sergeant's trashcan, which to her surprise was rather large. She guessed that he would probably need it to be large though.

"I see," Mrs. Jones said, though she obviously didn't. "While I'm here, I might as well tell you that SCORPIA is refusing to negotiate-"

"Really?" Kae muttered under her breath, playing absently with the football.

"And that we're unable to determine how long you'll have to stay here," Mrs. Jones continued, as if Kae hadn't spoken. Kae resisted the urge to bang her head on the desk.

"Fine," Kae said. "Is that all?"

"Yes." Mrs. Jones stood. "I'll keep you posted." She stood up and left. The sergeant came in.

"Wolf, take Maggot back to her cabin. Maggot if you disrespect a superior again you'll be doing the obstacle course till you drop. Wolf, don't kill her." Kae stood and walked out. "MAGGOT!" She slid back in. "Dismissed." She stormed out, clutching the football and file to her chest. Wolf followed her.

"What's in the file?" Kae never thought she'd have the chance to say this and despite her worry for Spencer, she couldn't keep the glee out of her voice.

"Classified." Wolf looked ready to murder her. Kae sped up slightly out of instinct, casting him nervous looks.

They reached the cabin without any incidents. She burst in and stopped. Everyone was dead silent. There was silence for a minute. Jessie came out from behind the partition. They all stared at each other. Kae was frozen. How was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to do? Everything she had been feeling in the office came crashing back down on her and Kae was suddenly exhausted. James stood awkwardly.

"I'm sorry about your cousin," he said. Kae's jaw dropped. Despite the serious situation, almost everyone cracked a smile except for James. "Don't look so shocked," he grumbled. Kae almost hugged him.

"Thanks," she said quietly. She spoke louder next. "I saw Mrs. Jones. She said SCORPIA wasn't willing to negotiate and that she's not sure how long we'll be here." The mood dampened again. "I…I'm gonna go to bed."

--

Elle was frustrated. She had gone to where Kae was supposed to be living and some men had turned her away. It was one of the few times that she regretted handing in her badge. She had gone to the school, but they weren't allowed to say anything. She was ready to scream.

Now she was heading back to the school. She entered the office to see the secretary arguing with a red-headed woman. Elle thought she would wait it out until they were done, but something woman said caught her attention.

"I had to the sign the stupid document too! I'm Alex's guardian. Mrs. Jones wouldn't say where he was going and I'm worried about him."

"Excuse me," Elle said, noting the woman was American. "Are you the guardian of one of the students who had to go into protection?" It had been all over the news. The woman turned, and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I am. Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of one those students. Kae Reid?" The woman frowned.

"Alex mentioned a Kae, but he said her last name was McGregor."

"It's a long story," Elle said. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"The school was attacked by an international terrorist group and six children had to go into protection." Elle turned on the secretary.

"Was Kae one of those children?" She demanded. The woman nodded. "Where did they go?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," the woman said. "I wasn't informed of their whereabouts."

"Who's Mrs. Jones?" Elle grilled her. The woman looked uncomfortable.

"The co-deputy of MI6," the woman supplied.

_Shit…Kae what did you get yourself into?_

Okay, so this chapter moved a little fast too :P. I didn't really like how the kids turned out in this chapter but I wasn't sure what else to do. I didn't really like how Elle and Jack met either. Any ideas on how to get those two working together would be great. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers…thank you to all my lovely readers too…seriously though even if you don't have an account, you can leave a review…it's okay.

Once again, if Kae seems like she's turning into a Mary-Sue, let me know!!!!!


	10. Sabotage and Stupidity

**Random Guy:** Lol, sorry about your nightmares. At least now I know he's creepy enough. We might be seeing more and more of him soon…if not then at the very least the infiltrator.

**Ovo Lamp:** Don't get to comfortable with James yet. She's gonna punch him in the next couple of chapters lol.

**Zenbon Zakura:** Yeah…Blame Morgan.

**Aphrodite 100:** I'm glad you think so!! If you've watched Criminal minds at all, Elle used to be on the profiling team it's about, but she turned in her badge and gun in season two. So Kae knows Elle pretty well. (Ha ha that rhymed. Not intentional.)

Wolf had gone to bed last night, a little worried for the little maggot. Sure she annoyed the hell out of him, but she'd always had that spark in her eyes. It was a fire and determination that he didn't really see in teenagers.

But…earlier that evening, when she had exploded, she had seemed broken. It had Wolf worried (as stated above), not that he would ever admit it. They had switched off with another unit who would watch the cabin that night. He noticed Python seemed to be looking forward to it a bit. He had thought that odd until Jackal had explained that Python used to have some kids that were killed when a burglar had broken in. He was probably just protective of the kids then, Wolf decided.

He frowned now as he made his way to the cabin to wake the brats up. Kae had a file…she had said it was classified. He didn't actually think it was, she just like saying to word to annoy him. Now, however, Wolf wanted to see that file. He supposed he could always mention it to Eagle. He and Kae seemed to get along all right…Yeah, he would do that. Warming to his idea, Wolf did an abrupt one-eighty and hurried back to the cabin where his unit was sleeping.

Wolf tipped Eagle's mattress. The man jumped up, disoriented and wildly threw a punch at Wolf. Wolf dodged it expertly and flipped Eagle over. The commotion woke up the other two. Snake pushed himself up and Fox threw his boot in whatever direction he deemed unworthy.

"Ow, Wolf! What was that for?" Eagle whined, pushing himself to his feet.

"It's about Maggot…"

"Which one?" Eagle groused.

"Um…the one who's name starts with a "K"…?"

"I don't know any of their names, Wolf. And stop, you're starting to sound like me. It's scary."

"The brown-haired girl!" Wolf exploded.

"Oh…Oh! _That_ Maggot!" Eagle said, happy that he had made a positive identification. "What about her?"

"She has a file."

"And…" Eagle rocked back and forth on his bed.

"She says it's classified. I don't think it is."

"Why not?"

"Well, if it were classified, then it wouldn't have come all the way from America, that's why."

"She's American?" Wolf frowned at his teammate. She'd only smart-mouthed the man enough. Why on earth hadn't Eagle noticed her accent?

"Yes, you dolt. She's American. How did you not notice?" Eagle shrugged.

"So what do you want me to about her file?" He said, returning to original reason as to why Wolf had tipped Eagle out of his not-so-comfy cot.

"I want you to get it." Honestly, did he have to explain everything to this man?

"Why?"

Obviously.

"Cause he wants to read it, dumbbell," Fox grumbled. He grimaced when he accidentally bumped his arm against the metal bed post.

"Pain killers," Snake said immediately. Wolf saw Fox resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

"Yes, mother." Fox ducked the combat boot aimed at his head. "Hey! I thought you're supposed to make sure we heal, not give us more injuries!" Snake only rolled his eyes and retrieved the boot.

"Why me?" Eagle persisted in his questioning.

"Because you two get along soo well," Snake drawled. "Honestly? I think she has a schoolgirl's crush on you." Eagle blushed.

"She does not," he protested.

"I'd say Eagle likes her back." Eagle turned even redder, if that was possible.

"That's statutory rape, Eagle."

"Huh-uh. Only if we have sex."

"So you do like her."

"…No…"

"But you just said you wanted to have sex with her."

"No I didn't. I only said its statutory rape _if_ we were to have sex." Eagle's face had returned to normal.

"But you just expressed a desire to sleep with her."

"No I didn't. I just said…never mind," Eagle muttered, realizing that he was going to lose this argument not matter what because his teammate would just continue to twist his words.

"You should seduce her. That would get you the file."

"Why doesn't Wolf seduce her? He wants the file."

"…"

"Say, that's an idea. Wolf-"

"Don't say it, Fox."

"Hee, Wolf wants to sleep with her now," Eagle crowed. Wolf glared. "Yeah, I'll try and get it." Wolf nodded, satisfied. Snake only rolled his eyes at his teammates' immaturity.

--

Kae was exhausted. She had the nightmares again last night. It scared her a little because she hadn't had the nightmares in over five years. She had woken up more than once and at one point, had woken up Jessie.

She shivered as she made the lonely walk to the mess hall. She had to get up early for _more_ kitchen duty. On the other hand, she mused, the cook had told her that she would just be cutting stuff. Kae had made sure to grab the file Hotch had sent her. She could read it while she was chopping…whatever.

The cook grunted when she showed up and pointed her to the counter. Kae picked up the knife and began cutting peeled potatoes, her eyes fixed on the file.

_No suspects, he leaves phone calls and notes, on the messages he was reported to have a British accent. Possible stressors: murdered family, abusive childhood, girlfriend broke up with him_…Kae frowned. Well, obviously they could search the airport records and look for people who had come in from England. They were probably looking for a white male, a big guy, between the ages of twenty to forty. Kae couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

She was surrounded by men who fit the exact description of the man Hotch and the team was looking for. She resumed a neutral expression when the cook came back to see what she was up too. He had demanded what the file was. Kae had answered homework. She had resumed quiet giggles as soon as he was gone. Hotch would have a field day here.

Kae flipped through the file and found one of the notes that had been left. It read:

My love, how I look forward to the day when we can finally be together. I know that you feel the same. Look for me tonight. P

Kae frowned. Now that wasn't creepy at all. She flipped through the file and was relieved when the cook finally let her go. She had cut her fingers more than once because she'd been so focused on the file. She rinsed her hands and snatched up her file before dashing across the lawn to the cabin.

She was so focused on her goal that she almost didn't notice Eagle until she almost crashed into. She skidded to a halt, her face less than an inch from his chest.

"Umm…Eagle," she said, stepping around him. To her surprise, he started walking with her. Seeing her questioning gaze, he explained.

"Someone's supposed to be with you maggots at all times." Kae shrugged. "Maggot, what happened to your fingers?"

"What does it look like happened?"

"Well…it looks like they got cut."

"Good job."

"Maggot…"

"Fine," Kae huffed. "I was reading and cutting at the same time." She waved the file around to emphasize her point.

"What's in the file?"

"Classified." Eagle had to agree with Wolf. She sounded way to delighted saying the word.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So you have it because…"

"Because I do." Eagle resisted the urge to growl. "A friend of mine gave it to me."

"What is it?"

"A file." Eagle wanted to smack himself.

"What type of file?" Kae studied it.

"A yellowish kind of file."

"That doesn't tell me what type of file it is."

"True story. A classified file." Eagle felt like he was going in circles. He decided to pull some authority.

"I need to see it."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"I need a warm shower because I said so. I still haven't gotten one of those."

"I'm your superior and I said I need to see the file."

"And I say it's my file and it doesn't pertain to you, therefore you _don't_ need to see the file." Eagle glared at the girl. She glared right back, a cocky little smirk on her mouth.

"Fine," he said. They were reaching the cabin anyway. "I'll be waiting. We need to go to the obstacle course."

Kae dropped her file off, changed quickly and followed Eagle to the obstacle course. She stood in with the rest of the group. Jessie looked relieved as soon as she saw her and moved quickly to stand next to her. Kae noticed her pale face and the way her hands trembled slightly.

"Are you okay?" She whispered to her, concerned. Jessie shook her head. Kae grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "What's wrong?" Jessie shuddered.

"I got this note," she said quietly. Kae froze. A note? She forced herself to relax.

"And…?" She prodded. "What did it say?" Jessie looked terrified.

"It…it said that it couldn't wait until we were…until we were finally together and to look for him soon," she whispered. "Kae, I'm scared."

"Calm down," Kae said, trying to calm her own breathing. "It's probably just a practical joke. A sick one, but a joke. Did you tell any of the guys?" Jessie turned to her, slightly desperate, shaking her head.

"No. I didn't want to worry them. You think it's just a joke?" She asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah," Kae said confidently. "I do. You should probably tell the guys though, just in case. I'll talk to the sergeant." Jessie nodded and removed her hand to stand next to Tom, who had been assigned as her partner. Kae forced herself to calm down. She would talk to the sergeant. He would know what to do.

--

It happened during the obstacle course. There was swinging bridge over a raging river. A literally raging river. Water crashed into the rocks and shot up nearly twenty feet in the air. The bridge was only thirty feet in the air. Kae could feel the spray coming over the edge.

There was another unit helping out today, though Kae wasn't sure why. But two members from the new unit and two members from K-unit were following along with them, probably making sure they didn't die. While Kae appreciated it, it wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

The teens moved out over the bridge, two pairs at a time. She and Alex had been paired together. It wasn't the most comfortable, since Kae and Alex were still mad at each other, but since they were working together, Kae had learned enough that she needed to swallow her pride.

"Alex?" She said, halfway over the bridge. Her voice sounded small and tentative, like she was about to be reprimanded. She cursed herself, but figured it was for the better. She at least sounded more sincere that way. They stopped and Alex turned to face her.

"Yeah?" His voice was cold. Kae shivered at his tone and resisted the urge to hug herself.

"I-I wanted to say sorry," she said in a rush. "I shouldn't butt into your personal life. If you want to tell me that's your choice. Sorry." She looked down at her feet, decided that she didn't need to shelve her pride anymore and looked him in the eyes. He looked startled, like he hadn't been expecting that. Kae knew he wasn't. She hadn't apologized once for her actions.

"It's fine," he said shortly. She sighed. He hadn't totally forgiven her, but she probably deserved that. There was an awkward silence until Snake yelled at them to get moving. Alex turned back around and that's when things started going wrong.

Three of the four men turned to converse with each other, satisfied that the teens were moving. Nobody paid much attention to the fourth man since Alex and Kae were the last ones and the other four were already across and moving down the obstacle course.

The bridge shuddered. Kae didn't pay it much mind, because it had been shuddering in the strong wind. Alex, however, tensed. Kae stopped, barely managing to not walk into him. They stood utterly still like that until Kae spoke.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"The bridge."

"What about it?"

"It's going to-" He was cut off as the bridge ropes snapped from one side. Kae barely had time to scream before she was free-falling. Alex had managed to grab a rope and Kae somehow managed to grab his ankle.

They rammed into the canyon wall and Kae gasped in pain and shock as her head knocked against the solid rock and ice-cold water splashed over her body. Dazed, she barely noted the hand that had somehow grasped her collar just before her hands developed a mind of their own and released Alex's ankle.

She didn't stay that way for long though. Just as soon as the pain dazed her, the water cleared her mind. She reached around Alex and grabbed the rope. Her uniform was cutting into her neck painfully and she took a hand away to slap at his, the only way she knew how to tell him she had a firm hold on the rope. He glanced down and after assuring himself that she wouldn't fall into the river, he released her.

Kae could hear the SAS men shouting. For some reason, she felt slightly amused. What on earth would shouting do? She supposed that they were calling for help, but all she and Alex had to do was climb up. She glared at the boot that was attached to Alex's foot. Now if only he would get the message…

Apparently he did, because he began hoisting himself up. He glanced down at her to make sure she was following, which she gladly was. They pulled themselves up. Kae's muscles were screaming. She was in better shape than she had been her entire life, but they still burned.

Time and time again, as Kae made the slow journey up the rope, water splashed over her already soaked skin. She was shivering violently by the time Alex hauled himself up over the edge and turned around to help her up. The teens kneeled on the ground, panting and shivering. Kae's eyes narrowed as she stared at Alex. He was shivering less than her and he was just as soaked.

"H-h-how c-come y-you're n-n-n-n-not as c-cold?" She chattered out, wrapping her arms around herself and tucking her hands under her arms to try and warm them. Alex glanced at her with something akin to amusement.

"I have b-better s-self-control," he replied. Kae scowled.

"L-l-lucky," she said. She was about to ask him where he learned it, but stopped herself. It probably had something to do with his uncle and his "acquaintances." Besides, at that moment, the soldiers decided to show up.

"Are you two all right?" Snake demanded. The two of them looked up from their kneeling positions. Snake hauled Alex to his feet, while Fox yanked Kae up. Kae noticed that Snake seemed to pay special attention to Alex's left side. Her eyes narrowed. Fox noticed and he sent a quick glare at the girl. Kae's eyes narrowed even more but she nodded reluctantly. Fox stepped aside to allow Snake look at her.

She winced as Snake examined her hands. There were burns from the rope and she resisted the urge to yank them out of his grasp though. She didn't resist anymore when he prodded them rather painfully. She jerked them back and returned them to their previous position: under her arm.

"Come on," Snake said, grabbing both her and Alex by their upper arms. "That last thing we need is for you to die of pneumonia while hiding out from SCORPIA."

"Yeah, wouldn't want that to happen," she heard Alex muttered. Snake glared at him before dragging them off, Fox, Panther and Lion following close behind. Kae looked over her shoulder at them and could've sworn she saw a flash of anger cross one of their faces before Snake dragged them into the infirmary, effectively blocking the two members of D-unit from sight.

They got to sit out the rest of the day, though they had to stay in the infirmary because the soldiers had to go back to the obstacle course and so they couldn't watch the two of them. At least in the infirmary there were soldiers moving in and out. Kae wasn't complaining; this gave her time to focus on several things. How the bridge just snapped, who was harassing Jessie, why Fox didn't want her to talk about Alex's shoulder and most of all, where Spencer was.

He'd been gone over twenty-four hours and even though Mrs. Jones said that SCORPIA didn't plan on killing him yet, he'd been gone over twenty-four hours and not having a profile unnerved Kae. Having a profile gave her something to work with. She'd prefer having a profile that said he'd be dead by now then not having a profile at all. You could catch people with a profile. You could catch people and get revenge. You couldn't catch people with nothing.

--

Fox wanted to talk to her. Alex was in an examination room with a doctor, who, though apparently hated their guts, insisted on checking them over one last time to make sure they weren't going to die of hypothermia during the night.

She had been waiting in the lobby (Heh, who knew SAS infirmaries had those? Not Kae.) for Alex to finish up since she'd already gone when Fox came in, his eyes scanning the room and then settling on her. Kae hadn't noticed him at first. She'd been staring vaguely out the window, absorbed in her thoughts. Fox came and stood next to her.

"Maggot."

"Sir."

"I need to talk to you."

"If this is about earlier…"

"It is."

"Well, sir, I don't see how a bridge snapping-"

"Not that."

"Oh…" Kae trailed off, feeling a bit stupid.

"It was when Snake was checking you over."

"Oh…this is about Alex."

"Yeah. You don't need to mention it."

"Why? And for the record, I wasn't really planning on it. So, why shouldn't I mention it?"

"I knew Cub when he was younger. He had an accident that hurt his left side. He doesn't really like to talk about it."

"Liar."

"Kitchen duty."

_Bastard._

--

"I need to see the sergeant," Kae said, the next day. She was glaring at the secretary. They'd been like that the last five minutes. She clutched the folder to her chest.

Jessie had told the boys about the note. They had all been less than pleased and now they were watching Jessie like hawks. They were watching Kae closely as well, but since she hadn't received a note, nor did they know if she was going to receive a note, they were sticking to Jessie more closely.

"The sergeant is busy." The man's tone was laced with venom.

"Then he needs to become un-busy," she snapped.

"Look, maggot, the world doesn't revolve around you," he snarled. Kae felt herself bristle at his tone and insult.

"I am well aware of that fact," she said coldly. "But right now, it does revolve around me because I have something the sergeant should be made aware of."

"Like what?"

"Like-"

"Maggot! What are you doing here?" Kae's insult was cut off by the sergeant coming out of his office.

"I needed to see you, sir," she said, glaring pointedly at the secretary.

"Come in then. It had better be good." Kae followed the man into the office, sticking her tongue out at the secretary smugly.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, Kae threw the file down on the desk. The sergeant picked it up and skimmed through it. He looked up at her with cool eyes. Kae waited for him to speak. Whether she liked it or not, she needed his help.

"Why do you have something like this, Maggot?"

"Because my family back home works for the BAU." Seeing his confused looked, Kae elaborated. "Behavioral Analysis Unit. Hotch gave this to me, to help me take my mind off…off Spencer. It's the case they're currently working on."

"And? What does this have to do with me?" The sergeant demanded. Kae hesitated before taking the plunge.

"I believe the unsub is here, sir."

The silence was unbearable as Kae waited for him to speak.

"Excuse me?"

--

Oops! Cliffy! Sorry, y'all. Now then, tell me what you think. I think this chapter is moving a little fast, too, but hey what can I say? Now…um…there's a pretty little green button that says Review…you know the rest.

Yeah, um, I kinda lied about the disclaimer in the first chapter because I just realized it said for all future stories/chapters. That doesn't work because not everyone is going to read all my stories. So this is just for this story only. And as much I wish I did, I do not own Alex Rider.

So yeah, sorry it took so long. My sister (if she ever reads this, I love you dearly) wouldn't let use her computer, the jerkface. Sorry, I love you oogles and boogles! You're just incredibly frustrating! (Not you guys, my sister. You know…just in case she ever reads this…yeah I already mentioned that…anyhoo…)

*Awkward silence*

So yeah, review, as mentioned above!

Oh, yeah! I was going back and reading over my story again and realized that I had mixed up Kae's guardian's last name! In the first chapter it's Oliver and the more recent chapters it's McGregor! I would like to clarify its McGregor (just in case any of you caught that) and I know Kae claims to be Reid, she's Miller, but yeah that whole thing with her cousin disappearing makes her want to feel closer to Reid so she's calling herself Kae Reid…


	11. Tears and Broken Noses

Kae took a deep breath and repeated herself. She wasn't sure where this meeting was going and she wanted to make sure she could have her say before the sergeant said anything. The sergeant stared at her and Kae started to get antsy. She shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for him to speak. Grown-ups were so slow!

"What on earth is an unsub?" Kae's breath went out of her in a whoosh. He made her wait five minutes just so he could ask what an unsub is?!

"A suspect," she elaborated. "Back home, we call them an unsub."

"You think a serial rapist is here? In an SAS training camp?" The sergeant's voice was tight. Kae had a bad feeling about this, but she kept going.

"Yes, sir," she said. "I do."

"And why, maggot, do you think that?" Kae swallowed and began talking.

"Sir, Hotch gave me this file to keep my mind off my cousin. I was going through it and there was a note. The rapist had left a love note, telling the women to look for him the day they got it. Or he left a message. He had a British accent, sir."

"If that's your only reason, maggot, I would like to point out that you're in Britain." The sergeant was barely keeping his voice under control. Kae sensed she was treading on thin ice and continued carefully, wanting him to hear her out.

"Jessie received a note of a similar nature," she said. "The only difference was it was telling her to look for him later in the week. It was in the exact same hand-writing."

"Where is this note?" The sergeant said. Kae fished it out of her pocket and held it out to the sergeant. He took it and read it, his eyes narrowing. Finally he threw it down on the desk.

"Maggot, you've been nothing but trouble since you got here," he snarled. "You're scheduled for kitchen duty for the next week and a half because you can't keep your mouth shut. Now, I've been pretty tolerant, believe me, but when you go accusing one of my men of being a serial rapist in America, I'm warning you now, you've gone too far." Kae's jaw dropped. She opened and closed it several times before she managed to speak.

"Sir, I may be mouthy, but I don't lie! Not when comes to things like this!" The sergeant stood. Kae took a step back for once.

"I want solid evidence that this man is in my camp."

"Well, for one thing the notes!" Kae's voice had risen. "If you need something to look for, he's been to America recently. The women say his breath smells like smokes, so you can also rule out anyone who doesn't smoke. Possible stressors in his life could be a murdered family, a relationship gone bad, an abusive childhood…the list goes on! He's white, so you can exclude any other ethnicities. He's taller, but he's not thin-"

"Enough!" The sergeant stood. "All you've given me is notes and a profile! If you don't want me to kick you out for SCORPIA to have a go at you, I suggest you leave _NOW!"_ Kae jumped. She'd never been yelled at in her life. Not like that. The team had long ago learned that quiet disappointment worked better with her than yelling or punishments ever would. But now he was yelling at her and threatening her. It was a bit of a new experience for Kae. And it wasn't one she liked.

Kae felt dangerously close to crying as she snatched up the file. Her lip was trembling and she clutched the file to her chest, staring at the sergeant, a multitude of emotions going through her: rage, hate, frustration, disbelief and a tiny bit of understanding. She wasn't sure if she would believe her if she had come running into the office talking about a serial rapist wanted in America in an SAS camp.

She stumbled backwards, fumbling for the doorknob. She pushed the door open and then turned and fled the building. She didn't wait for Snake, who caught up with her easily and was probably slowing his pace just to match hers. She didn't stop until she was inside the cabin, because in all honesty, she didn't even feel safe with Snake.

Everyone looked up as she banged the door shut behind her, trying to calm her pounding heart. It was only then that she realized tears were streaming down her face. She wiped them away. Tom stood.

"Kae, are you all right?" He asked her. Kae shook her head, having gotten her emotions under control. She spoke.

"The sergeant's a retard."

"It took you almost a month to figure this out?"

"Shut up, Tom." She looked at Jessie. "Jessie, I don't mean to scare you but…"

--

There was dead silence by the time she was finished talking. Everyone looked thunderous. Kae took a deep breath, feeling strangely tired. Jessie looked scared, but annoyed. Kae smiled. She liked that girl.

"So you told the sergeant that there's a serial rapist in his camp, gave him solid evidence and he threatened to kick you out? Can he even do that?" Tom asked. Kae marveled at how well they were handling it. They were doing better than she was, she thought.

"I don't know," Kae said. "I didn't exactly stick around long enough to ask." She sounded slightly sheepish.

"And why not?" James said with a sneer. Kae turned slowly to look at him.

"Oh, I don't know," she said sarcastically. "Probably because he was yelling, calling me a liar and threatening to let SCORPIA go at me. Gee, James you tell me why you wouldn't stick around either."

"That's stupid. He wouldn't really throw you out," he snarled. Kae stepped forward.

"He a freaking SAS sergeant. He can do whatever the hell he wants," she snarled back. They were nose to nose.

"He can only do what MI6 allows. You were just being a coward." It was times like these when Kae loved being a girl. She reeled back and punched him in the nose. This time she had been aiming for his eyes, but it seemed that bad aim ran in the family. James yelled as blood spurted from his nose. The door crashed open to reveal James staggering back a little, holding a bloody (possibly broken) nose and Kae screaming at him.

"Don't you dare ever call me a coward again! I've seen stuff that would give you nightmares for the rest of your life!" Eagle and Snake were closest, so Snake ran to James and Eagle ran to restrain Kae since it looked like she was ready to attack James again.

"Bloody hell!" James yelled at her around Snake. "What in the blazes was that for?"

"I'm sure if you think about it you'll figure it out!" Kae lunged against Eagle's arm. "You better apologize or I'll make you sorry you were ever born!"

"I'm already sorry I was born!" James yelled back at her.

"Yeah? Well I am too! What is your problem? Do you make it your goal to make everyone miserable?"

"No, that's what you're for!"

"Enough, you two!" Snake shouted, looking like he was getting a major headache. Eagle clapped a hand over Kae's mouth, keeping her from saying anything. "What is this all about?" Kae ripped her mouth away from Eagle's hand.

"He called me a coward," she growled.

"Only because she is one." Kae made to lunge at him again. James glared at her from around his swollen nose. Kae saw with satisfaction that it was indeed broken.

"Enough!" Snake motioned for Eagle to follow him. "We'll continue this somewhere more private." Eagle threw Kae over his shoulder, anticipating problems getting her to walk willingly. They made it to the infirmary and Snake led James to the back room to fix up his nose. Eagle dropped Kae none to gracefully in a chair. He quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, expecting her to run, but when she didn't move, he took his hand back and stared at her suspiciously.

There was tense silent as they waited for Snake. Eagle was pacing back and forth, casting glances at the surly teenage girl sitting in the ugly plastic yellow chairs. The man at the desk was casting them curious looks but they ignored him.

The tense silence was broken by the "Hokey-Pokey." Eagle sniggered as Kae dully pulled out her phone and flipped it open without bothering to check caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Is there a reason you didn't tell us you were at an SAS camp?!" Kae sat up straight. Eagle froze and watched her.

"Elle?!"

--

Haha, another cliffy! I've managed to write two chapters in the time that I've waited for my sister to let her use the stupid computer! Actually, I think I'm going to upload this at the library but whatever. You know what I mean…I think.

Anyway, review and tell me what you think!!


	12. Screams and Suggestions

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Right now lol

**PureAngelEnchantress: **I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to have it happen, but there are a couple of ideas bouncing around in the insanity that is my mind.

**Chloe Griffin:** lol, it's not the sergeant I can tell you that right now. And remember, Kae hasn't exactly established herself the greatest rep so she has that going against her.

**Lizzy-1809:** I'm glad you like it : ^)

"Yes, Elle," the woman snapped over the phone. "Now don't you dare play innocent with me, Elizabeth Kae Miller." Kae winced.

"Aw, Elle, don't use my first name, please?" She pleaded, sliding a glance at Eagle, who was watching with curiosity and suspicion.

"Kae, when I get a hold of you, a terrorist organization out for your blood is going to be the least of your worries." Kae frowned at the phone. What was up with adults today? Was it International Adults Make Kids Lives Miserable Day?

"Um, Elle? Right now that _is_ the least of my worries." Annoyance colored her tone and she could almost see Elle bristling. She resisted the urge to smile.

"Why?" The question was quick.

"Don't sound so suspicious!" Kae would've feigned hurt if she wasn't actually hurt. Why wouldn't people listen to her? She was getting sick of it!

"What did you do?"

"Gah…Elle, give me a little credit would you? I might not have even done anything!" Elle snorted and this time Kae was the one bristling.

"I've heard that one before."

"If you're referring to that time at the mall, I'll have you know that was Hunter's fault." Kae kicked at the linoleum, sulkily. "How did you even find out where we are? That Jones lady said we're classified."

"That Jones lady also was the one to tell us where you are."

"So you're talking about classified information over an unsecure line?" Kae couldn't help but talk in a snotty tone, something that surprised her. She hadn't taken a tone like that with Elle or any of the others in years.

"My side is secure."

"Mine's not." Eagle was watching her suspiciously. "Elle, really. I have this person listening in on my side of the conversation. I'd really rather not have him listening to what I'm going to tell you," Kae said, leaning forward and rubbing her fingers against a temple, her right elbow resting on her leg. Her head hurt, the sergeant was a jerk, she was probably going to get stuck with kitchen duty for life and there was more than one psycho running around the camp, because Kae had no doubt that someone had cut the bridge. Well…maybe she was just getting a little paranoid…

"Wait?" Kae sat up suddenly. "Elle, where are you?" Suspicion was coloring her voice now and maybe a bit of hopefulness.

"England."

"Why?" Now she was hopeful and curious. Maybe MI6 would let her see Elle?

"Because I was sent over as moral support. It's a bit of a moot point now, but it makes me feel better knowing I'm at least in the same country." Kae couldn't agree more, but Eagle was not-so-subtly listening in, so Kae decided to try and cut the conversation short.

"Elle, really, I have to call you back later," she said, a pleading note in her voice. "Please?" Elle was silent, as if she was debating this with herself. Kae waited with bated breath. She could've just hung up, but Kae couldn't bring herself to do that. Not to her family.

"I'll call you back in an hour," Elle said finally. There was a click on the other end as Elle hung up. She never was one much for saying good-bye.

"If I'm alive that long," Kae muttered under her breath. She stuck her phone in her pocket.

"What was that about?" Eagle demanded.

"My cousin." That wasn't the total truth, but Eagle stopped questioning her and now looked distinctly uncomfortable. Kae felt guilty for using Spencer as a scapegoat. Eagle also seemed to notice that she wasn't telling the whole truth, but at that moment Snake came out.

"Okay," Snake said. "You, in the back room, now." Kae stood up straight and she went into the examination room followed by Snake and Eagle. She sat down in another ugly yellow chair next to James, who scowled at her. Kae glared back and turned so she facing slightly away from him.

"Talk," Snake said. "Why did you punch him?"

"Because," Kae bit out. "He called me a coward." Kae was tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. The floor really was an ugly color. She wondered vaguely if the head medic would let her redecorate…She shook her head. She needed sleep. She needed it badly.

"Why did you call her a coward?" The question was directed at James. Duh. Kae resisted the urge to rub her eyes.

"Because she is one." Kae looked ready to punch him again. Suddenly she didn't need to sleep anymore and Eagle placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Kae shuddered and he removed it, looking confused. But she directed her glare and next words at James.

"Not true! You wouldn't have stuck around either!" Kae slammed to her feet. James did the same and they took steps towards each other, each turning red in the face from anger.

"What? You can't take a little yelling?" They were shouting at each other. Snake and Eagle let them, figuring this was probably the best course of action. They were right and watched with only a little amusement and more caution as the two of them stood well…not nose to nose. More face to nose to since James' nose was so swollen.

"He didn't just yell at me, genius! Are you trying to tell me you would've stuck around after being called a liar?"

"I would've tried to explain myself!"

"I did! I laid it out in front of him, so simple a six-year-old _child_ could understand it! There was evidence that he's here and I got called a liar! He obviously isn't going to help!"

"So, what are we supposed to do? Never let each other out each other's sight?" They had stepped back a little and the color had receded from their faces a bit, but they still looked plenty angry.

"Yes!" Snake and Eagle stared. They had moved past arguing to planning something out. They were still shouting in each other's faces and the SAS men were beginning to suspect that was the only way they could communicate. "Believe it or not, you guys are in danger too! The unsub's bi, for crying out loud!" James gaped at her. Snake and Eagle almost would've jumped because the silence was so startling.

"He's _bi?_" Kae nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Who's bi?" Eagle cut in, looking confused and annoyed at the sudden change in topic. He could follow their shouting; this, however, was out of his realm.

"Yeah," she said, ignoring Eagle's question. They were no longer shouting, though, so Snake considered that a plus. Eagle looked annoyed at being ignored. "He's been mainly targeting women, but also some smaller guys."

"Wait," Eagle said, cutting in yet again. "_What_ are you talking about?" James and Kae glanced at each other and seemed to come to unspoken agreement. Topic switch!

"You're such a jerk!" She screamed in his face.

Snake groaned. He was going to need a medic because these two were giving him a migraine. A quick glance at Eagle confirmed that he was feeling the same way.

Stupid teenagers.

--

James and Kae came back to the cabin, looking faintly smug. James' nose was red, swollen and bandaged, but the two of them looked far past that. They were even walking next to each other, something that surprised the rest of the group greatly. Snake held the door open for them, looking like he wanted to go out and have a couple hundred shots. Glances were slanted around the room.

"What did you do?" Tom stage-whispered. He peered past Snake and saw Eagle looking much the same way. Kae pulled the partition shut so she could get changed. Jessie checked to make sure none of the guys were getting changed then slipped out to join them so she could hear James better.

When Kae had pulled on her pajamas she opened it back up and joined Tom on his cot. Tom threw a blanket around her shoulders. Kae smiled at him and settled back, content to let James speak.

"…So we started fighting again," he said. There was silence. Then Tom broke it by changing the subject.

"I'll never understand you two," he said. "I mean, one minute you're ready to kill each other and the next you're working together."

"We're just amazing like that." Kae sounded way too smug, but then she sobered. "There was a case similar to this one that I remember reading about. I wasn't allowed to help with that one because I was school but, the team worked one similar."

"Wait," Luke said, interrupting. "Are you saying that a BAU team took you on their cases?" Disbelief was in his tone. Kae felt herself bristling. She knows she's explained this before to someone and she knows they told other people.

"Only during the summer," she said defensively. "And I was completely safe!" She paused, looking around the room. She was getting raised eyebrows all around. "For the most part," she added under her breath, slightly sulky. There was silence for a moment before it was broken by:

"_Put your right arm in, put your right arm out…"_ Kae dove for her phone.

"You have your phone?" Tom hissed, shooting glances at the door and windows. Almost superstitiously, Jessie got up and shut the curtains.

"Yeah," she said sheepishly, fumbling around in her pockets for it. "I'm glad I broke the rules though." She found it, held her finger up and flipped it open.

"Start talking," Elle commanded.

"Hang on," Kae said, hoping, but knowing it wouldn't work, to soften Elle up by letting her hear the other kids. She was in for a whipping and she knew it. "Say "hi" to Elle, everyone!"

"Kae-" Was all Kae heard before holding her phone out. Everyone chorused "hi" rather uncertainly and Kae put her phone back to her ear.

"Okay, Elle, don't kill me," she said. "And don't worry."

"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about the people you're with!"

"Thanks! Any updates?"

"No," Elle said. "Talk." As Kae explained what was going on, everyone was rather amused to listen to Kae stutter and back-track several times. She seemed cowed for the first time since they met her and they greatly admired Elle.

"She has got to teach me that," Tom said admiringly as Kae passed the phone off to Alex so he could talk to his housekeeper. Elle hadn't appreciated Kae's joke about it being a small world when she found out that Elle was staying with Jack. Kae elbowed him, disgruntled.

"Shut up, Tom," she muttered. "Your input isn't really appreciated." Tom snorted.

"Yeah, maybe the sergeant could learn something from her," James needled her. Kae crossed her arms with a pout before Jessie took pity on her friend and changed the conversation.

"So you got to go on cases with them?" Jessie asked. Kae perked up at the change of subject and pulled the blanket around her tighter. Tom wrestled one of the sides from her and draped part of the blanket around his shoulders so they were sharing. Everyone missed the disgruntled look James gave him.

"Yeah," Kae said. "Just during the summer and the less dangerous ones, though." There was silence. Luke cleared his throat, breaking it.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"I think we should go with Kae's idea. Never let each other out of each other's sight. Kind of like the buddy system," Alex said, hanging up and handing Kae's phone back to her. "I think Jack likes Elle."

"Elle doesn't-"

"Not like that!" Alex threw his pillow at her. Kae snatched it up and held it against her chest. "Give it back." Kae clutched it tighter and shook her head violently.

"Nuh-uh," Kae said, sticking her tongue at him. "You threw it. It's a gift." Alex's eyes narrowed at her. Kae smiled sweetly and clutched the pillow tighter.

"I don't think so," he said and lunged. Kae shrieked and jerked backwards. Alex crashed on his stomach, chin banging against the edge of the bed, his fist clenched tightly around the pillow. For the second time, the K-unit burst into the cabin, to find a much different scene. The kids were all cracking up as they watched Cub try and wrestle a pillow from Kae, who was putting up a good fight.

They all froze as the unit burst in and Kae released the pillow quickly, causing Alex who had been tugging on it to stumble back slightly to his cot. He flopped down on it and they all stared at the unit wide-eyed. None of the unit missed the way the teens seem to subconsciously gravitate towards each other. Well…more towards Alex, really, since they had seemed to start looking at him as a leader.

"What's going on?" Wolf growled. It was Luke who dared to speak.

"N-nothing," he said. "We were just goofing off." The men frowned but file back out. But not before shooting them all _I-hope-you-die-a-horrible-and-painful-death_ looks. The door shut and the tense atmosphere relaxed almost visibly and Jessie couldn't repress to giggle.

"If they do that every time one of us screams or something," she said, hysterics now taking over. She was unable to complete the thought because she had begun laughing to hard. Kae was the next to go. Jessie's laughter was a bit contagious.

Wolf and Snake were discussing it outside. They were listening to the teens succumb to hysterics after they had left, but they weren't discussing that.

"They looked scared," Snake said. "Even after they realized it was us, they still looked scared."

"I did notice that," Wolf said. "If anything, they looked even more scared."

"They may have thought something was happening," Snake suggested. Wolf shrugged.

"It's possible," he said. "Something doesn't feel right, though. Ever get the feeling they're not telling us something?" Snake snorted and wiped some of the never-ending drizzle from his forehead.

"They're teenagers, Wolf. There's probably lots of things they're not telling us." Wolf inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the woods just behind them.

"No, I think it's more than that," Wolf said. "What about when the one maggot came back from the sergeant's office, ready to cry?"

"You think it's because they're scared of the sergeant?" Snake sounded amused. Wolf shrugged.

"Just throwing out suggestions," he said.

Ah, must love their cluelessness. But they're not entirely off…hmm, where to go from here?


	13. Snot Noses and Castration

**Lizzy-1809:** Thank you so much!

**Chloe Griffin:** I'm not entirely sure, but even if she was a current FBI agent, I think MI6 would still be reluctant to tell her anything. It's possible she also may have lost any clearance when she quit.

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Well…not to sound corny but…here's the next update!

Alex felt relaxed. Even, dare he say it, happy? The six of them had been at Brecon Beacons almost a month and a half, and while there had been problems at the beginning, mostly with James, things had wound down and he would even venture to call Luke, Jessie and James his friends. Kae didn't know what was going on with him, and while she knew it was something else, she didn't press, though he could tell she was dying with curiosity. Maybe someday he could tell her and the rest of them, like he had with Sabina and Tom.

It would be nice, he mused, to have a group to hang out with again on Friday nights. To go see movies and to have someone who would understand when he didn't show up for night outs or called suddenly to cancel. It would be nice to have a support group, to have people to invite to special events, to have someone to fall back on. To be _normal_ again. Or at least, as normal as he could get.

But, Alex reminded himself, this is just while you're here. What happens when you go back to school? Will everyone go back to how they used to be? Would it just be him and Tom again, with Kae occasionally?

It was Sunday and the sergeant, in a rare bout of kindness, gave them the day off. So the six of them were outside with Kae, who was teaching them the finer points of American football. They were gathered around her as she explained a blitz and Alex, as always, was half-listening and half looking around for danger.

K-unit was watching the small group from a distance away, nearby, but not exactly hovering. Kae was talking a little quietly, mostly because they were all right there so she didn't see a need to talk any louder, so they were shooting the group suspicious looks.

There was tenseness in their group, Alex saw. There was a threat hanging over their heads, but for the time being, they were all doing their best to forget it. He saw in the weariness in Luke's eyes, the barely concealed smoldering anger in James' eyes, the way Tom tapped his foot (he never did that unless he was especially nervous), the way Jessie continually shifted around when she was normally still, the way Kae's gestures were much smaller than they normally were, like she was scared of drawing too much attention to herself.

They had definitely grown up, Alex knew, they were tired and when they got back, to other students, they were would seem like battle-weary soldiers. Up until the point they saw a _real_ battle-weary soldier. Then their little group would seem like nothing…besides the fact that none of them were soldiers.

Suddenly Kae stopped talking and Alex snapped back to reality, taking in the change quickly, eyes scanning all around for the threat.

"Kae?" Tom prodded her. Kae was staring at her arm. She was wearing a regular T-shirt and now she flexed her arm with something akin to horror.

"Kae!" James snapped, trying to elicit a response.

"Oh my goodness," she said, her voice going higher with what they knew really _was_ horror. "I'm buff!" There was silence for several minutes before Jessie's snort of laughter broke it.

--

They started the football game soon after that little outburst. They were split up into two teams (duh), Alex, James and Jessie on one team and Luke, Kae and Tom on the other. Kae marveled at how quickly they picked up the game. It also made her laugh how the guys had absolutely no problem tackling each other, but they steered clear of the girls, clearly unwilling to even touch them. For that reason, Jessie and Kae ended up with the ball the most.

Eventually, their game attracted some of the soldiers, who were at first content to watch, mainly because Wolf was shooting them his infamous glare of death look, but eventually even he grew interested in the proceedings.

"Oi!" One of the soldiers finally shouted. "What are you playing?" The kids stopped in the middle of the play, seeming to realize they had an audience for the first time. Wolf glowered at the man. The kids had looked relaxed for once and now that was gone. He watched as they gravitated toward Alex once again and faced the men. They looked slightly scared again. Finally, Kae spoke.

"Football," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's not football," another one snorted. Kae cocked a brow. Wolf noticed that they were subtly moving towards their cabin. Now his curiosity was piqued. What could make them so scared, apart from the obvious, of SAS soldiers?

"It is in America," she informed the man.

"This isn't America." Kae pretended to be shocked.

"Really? Oh my goodness, why didn't anyone tell me?" She clapped her hands to her cheeks in mock horror, her jaw sagging and her eyes going bug-eyed. Alex wisely shoved Kae into the cabin. The rest of the kids hurried in after them.

--

"Do you have a death wish?" Alex demanded of Kae furiously. She regarded him coolly, though secretly she was unnerved. There was silence for a long moment before she spoke.

"It's very possible," she said serenely. "I thought it was a fair question." Nobody spoke. Alex sighed in frustration.

"Kae, you don't exactly have the greatest track record here," he said, his voice low in warning. "The sergeant is just about fed up with you. If you're not careful, he's going to resort to other disciplinary actions that don't involve kitchen duty." Annoyance flashed across the girl's face.

"Alex," she snapped, standing. "I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I can take care of myself. Believe it or not, I don't need a baby-sitter."

Things were tense the rest of the evening. Eventually, Tom, Jessie, Luke and James got up and left, leaving Kae and Alex by themselves in the cabin. Kae had the partition shut and there was silence as both teens worked on the homework that the school had sent them. Alex was thankful that he had started new in year 10 before MI6 had sent him on any missions. He was caught up in all of his coursework and now he could participate in the group discussions about a certain assignment.

He heard Kae swear softly from behind the partition. It was so quiet that if he wasn't a trained spy, he wouldn't have heard it. He ignored it, but when the swearing came a few minutes later and repeated itself in the patter of swearing, silence for a few minutes, then more swearing, he got up and peered around the partition.

Kae was sitting on the cot, cross-legged and staring down at her books. She wiping her eyes furiously and it took Alex a moment to realize that tears were streaming down her face and dripping from her chin, a bit like tiny diamonds before they hit the page.

Alex recognized what was happening. Kae was crying without the sniffing and deep gulping breaths. The tears just started and wouldn't stop. It had happened to Alex on more than one occasion and when it did, he always excused himself somewhere private.

"Kae…?" He said a bit hesitantly. Kae looked up in surprise, her nose and eyes red. "Are you all right?" He saw Kae steeling herself, know that her pride was about to come into play and if he didn't do something, she would shut herself away, like had so many times before.

"Alex," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you heard. I was just…something in my eyes." It was a lame attempt, but Kae didn't need much. Alex wasn't any good at this, but he went and sat next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay," he said. He felt slightly guilty for this. Kae had a natural tendency to buck the rules, but he noticed it had gotten worse when they came here. It had gotten even more worse when she got news that her cousin was missing. He supposed the last thing she really needed was him riding her case.

Kae leaned into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder and just letting herself cry. Alex awkwardly patted her back and mumbled words of comfort. Finally, she pulled back and wiped her eyes. Snot was dribbling down her nose and she blushed, looking at his uniform.

"I got snot all over your uniform," she hiccupped. "I'm sorry." She reached around for a wash cloth and started to wipe it.

"Its fine," Alex said, taking it from her. "Just…be careful." They both knew they weren't referring to the snot. Kae couldn't help but giggle.

"I'll try," she said, green eyes as sincere as the trouble-maker could make them. Then her demeanor changed from sincere to threatening. "I swear if you tell anyone about this, I'll castrate you with a blunt spoon." Alex winced.

"I'll bear that in mind," he said. He'd gone against a lot of threats, but no one had threatened that. And Kae looked dead serious. Her back was ramrod straight and she was glaring at him with her most threatening glare, but actually made people want to hug her or ruffle her hair. Kae just wasn't that scary. But she did look serious.

Okay so this is just a little something for Alex, because I don't think I've given him nearly enough attention in this story.

So this is just a little spit-balling here…how would you all feel about a sequel? I'm not entirely sure I'm going to do one yet, but it wouldn't be about them at school. They'd still be at the camp or something and it would be from Jessie's POV and SCORPIA would be refusing to back off. I dunno tell me what you think.


	14. Obsessions and Explosions

**Anonymous:** Hiya. I'll try and make the chapters a little longer. I don't know if this is long enough but I'm hoping it'll pick up speed again soon.

Two weeks had passed since Spencer had gone missing. Kae had settled into a routine: get up, get in trouble and spend the evenings working on homework and plans to try and root out the unsub. In order to pinpoint possible candidates, they had to get a hold of the files to find out possible stressors as Kae put it.

To do that they needed to get into the sergeant's office.

Kae had point blank refused to go back there, saying she liked living, thank you very much. Nobody could really find fault with that.

Kae was bending on obsession with this. She didn't obsess verbally because she knew how annoying it was when somebody did that. But it consumed her thoughts. She welcomed it because it was a distraction from Spencer.

Everyone noticed that Kae seemed to be a little paler, a little thinner and the bags under her eyes seemed to be a little bigger. Snake had badgered her about it. Kae always responded to his questions with answers such as, "None of your business, jerkface." Needless to say, Kae wasn't in the best of moods these days.

Finally one day, Luke grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cabin. Almost at once, one of the members of K-unit began following them. Kae noticed it was Eagle. She tugged against Luke, but the taller boy had gotten stronger since coming here and Kae found it rather difficult to pull away from him.

"Luke," she protested. "Where are we going?" Luke ignored her until Kae gave a particularly vicious yank. He stopped and turned to face her. He still had a tight grip on her forearm.

"Right now," he said. "Alex is hiding the file folder." Kae nearly blew up.

"What?" She shrieked and almost instantly began tugging on his arm. "Why? Luke, let me go! I have to go stop him!" Luke didn't let go. He looked at her with sad brown eyes while she yanked against his hold.

"Kae," he said. "You're obsessed. You're not eating. You're hardly working on your coursework. And you barely sleep at all. It's not healthy. We almost considered asking someone from K-unit if there was a therapist on base. But that would've led to a lot of questions that none of us want to answer."

"Don't do this, Luke," she pleaded. "I need that case." Tears welled up in her eyes and they threatened to spill over. She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking. "Please." Luke's answer was to pull her into a hug.

"I know, Kae," he said quietly. "I know."

"You don't," she whimpered. "I need this. Otherwise I'll just obsess over Spencer and that's not going to help him any and now I have to have find a serial rapist-"

"You prat," Luke said, fondness coloring his tone. "You don't have to be the only one to find him. We can help you know." Kae sniffled and nodded. "But you don't have to do this by yourself."

"How long is it gonna stay hidden?" She asked in a small voice. She felt Luke shrug.

"I don't know," he said. "As long as it takes for you to calm down." Kae sighed and Luke pulled away. "I'm sorry, Kae. I really am."

"But the team is depending on me," she said. Luke groaned inwardly. He was seriously considering asking for a therapists, screw any questions that might be asked.

"Kae," he said firmly. "The team is not depending on you to solve the case. They sent this to you to help you keep your mind off Spencer. They want your input. They want you to look at it. They did not send it over here so you and you alone could solve it."

Kae nodded, bowing her head.

--

The agents moved in on the building. It was a large abandoned factory and it was surrounded by SAS and agents. This is where the hostage was supposed to be, if their contacts were correct. Which they always were. They weren't MI6's most trusted for nothing.

"V-unit, you are cleared to move in, over." The man spoke quietly into the walkie-talkie. A moment later, a response crackled over.

"Roger that. V-unit moving in." There was silence for several tense moments. The agent was confident they would get this hostage back. Nobody had gotten in or out since surveillance was set up over twenty-four hours ago.

He spoke too soon.

Just one minute after giving the order, the building exploded.

"Get down!" He shouted. His team threw themselves to ground, covering their heads. Fireballs flew up in the air and debris rained down around them, hot enough the agent was sure brimstone was being thrown down from heaven at them. After a moment, though, the assault stopped and they dared look up.

The factory was gone. Completely destroyed, save the rubble. The man pulled himself up in disbelief. Why would they do that? He knew there had been guards in there. There were assassins in there. It was probably wrong to call it abandoned, he thought bitterly. It had been teeming with life. He didn't particularly care about the SCORPIA people. He was more upset about that one soul in there. Then another thought jolted him.

"V-unit, do you copy!" He yelled in the walkie-talkie. There was no silence. "Do you copy, V-unit!"

"We copy sir," a man answered weakly. "Two of my men are down. The other is severely wounded." The man was thinking quickly.

"What's your status, soldier?" He barked, already motioning to his teammate to get medical units on the way.

"My leg is pinned," he said. "I-I'm not sure what else."

"Soldier, we have medical personnel heading your way," he said. "They'll be there soon."

"Understood, sir," the man said. There was silence as the man stared at the site. What was he going to tell his superiors? More importantly, what was he going to tell the families of those two soldiers from V-unit?

--

"_An old factory mysteriously exploded last night in an abandoned part of London. Authorities are not yet sure what caused the explosion, though arson is suspected. No lives were lost-"_ Jack sighed and shut off the television, looking over at her guest. The woman was staring at the TV, lost in thought.

It had been an alright last couple of days. Jack had been thrilled to find someone American to talk to. She didn't have anything against the British, but sometimes she just wanted that familiar American accent.

"Do you want anything?" She asked Elle. The woman stirred and looked at Jack. Jack felt slightly unnerved. She felt like her eyes were taking in every detail about Jack and discovering information about her that she didn't really think people would be able to tell.

"Please," Elle said. She stood and followed Jack to the kitchen. There was silence as both women were lost in their thoughts. They were worried about the kids, which was understandable, but both for different reasons.

Elle was worried about Kae because she knew the girl was extremely stubborn and from the sound of it, she had been getting in a lot of trouble recently. That wasn't that surprising. That had happened a lot when Kae first went to live with Spencer. Then trouble just seemed attracted to her like a magnet. Now a serial rapist was running around the camp she was in, the sergeant didn't believe her and Elle couldn't get to heads of MI6 so they could do something about it. She mused over the emotional strain Kae must be going through. She was tough girl, but everyone had their breaking points.

Jack was worried about Alex. She was worried about how he was holding up with his bullet wound and how the soldiers were treating him and hoping that maybe, _maybe_ MI6 would finally leave him alone. She was worried that this SCORPIA would try and go at him while he was at Brecon Beacons. She was worried that Alex would do something stupid, like run away and go after SCORPIA by himself again. Alex may be a hero, but Jack's eyes, he was her whole world and she would die if anything happened to him.

--

Mrs. Jones was sucking on a peppermint, as usual, when she received the news. The man who delivered it seemed less than thrilled to be the one to tell her. He should just be grateful that he didn't have to give the news to Blunt. The man would probably have him shot with a firing squad. Mrs. Jones was much more forgiving.

That didn't make it any easier though, when the man told her the mission had failed. Mrs. Jones sat back in her seat and dismissed the man, her mind reeling. How had this gone wrong? The agents said that SCORPIA wouldn't be expecting them at all. It would be the per usual raid: get in, get the hostage, get out.

No one was supposed to die.

No one was supposed to get hurt.

Someone was already informing the families of the dead.

Who was going to inform Kae?

--

He had growled when the red-haired boy hugged her. She was supposed to be _his!_ It had been impossible to visit his two loves since the boys had gotten overly-jealous of their relationship and started watching the girls more closely.

Plus, K-unit wasn't helping any. They were watching the children like mother bears over their cubs. They glared if anyone got to close, there was always someone with them. They were always, _always_ watched. It frustrated him.

He angrily crushed his cigar into the ground and left it, not caring if anyone saw and certainly not caring if he got punished for littering. He had more important things on his mind.

--

He watched the children coldly, indifferently. His plan to kill the main targets had failed when they didn't fall into the river. If they had fallen into the river, there was no way they would've survived.

The man deduced he must kill them individually.

The girl would go first. She was becoming too emotionally unstable, too unpredictable. The man didn't like that. He needed to remove her from the equation. It would put the boy on guard, but the man could deal with that. The boy would be predictable.

They were down by the lake. The girl seemed to be trying to relax as they tossed the football around. It was a rare sunny day that was coming to an end, casting beautiful colors across the sky. The man didn't notice this. He was already making plans to be flushed of the girl.

--

Eagle was glad to see the kids relax. Kae seemed to have a little more life in her then she had that afternoon. He didn't like to admit it, but he had started to come to think of her as his little sister. She reminded him of Emily in so many ways…

Eagle pushed her from his mind. Emily was gone. She wasn't coming back. So he settled for standing besides Wolf, annoying the man to death and watching the kids and watching for danger. He noticed Python moving rather angrily across the grassy lawn and wondered briefly about that. The man hardly ever got angry, so this was something new. Maybe he was mad at the sergeant?

"Look out!" A shout brought his attention back around and he barely had time to catch the football before it beaned him in the nose. The black-haired boy jogged up to him, looking sheepish.

"Sorry," he said. "Alex was getting a little too enthusiastic."

"Don't lie, Tom! You threw it!" Cub yelled from by the lake. Tom looked sheepish as Eagle handed him the ball. Eagle's thoughts now turned to Cub. How was he doing? He looked healthy enough, but Eagle was well-aware of the scar above his heart.

He had kept up well enough in the exercises and the other kids were starting to keep up too, but sometimes, Eagle noticed Cub's face seemed to be pale or twisted in pain. But he never said anything. Eagle admired that. He had heard complaints from the other kids, but not one from Cub.

He shook his head. Cub was one wacky teenager. That was for sure.

Allrighty then. This chapter 14 boys and girls. Now, I have a poll and even if I have updated and you read this, please tell me what you think anyway.

It's an idea (duh) but what it is Brookland is a school for supernatural students. Not all supernatural students, mind you, but for the most part supernatural kids. But the government doesn't know about them and SCORPIA finds out and attacks. So MI6 thinks it's because of Alex so they send him and his class to Brecon Beacons. So now the kids have to worry about keeping their abilities hidden from the soldiers.

So what do you think of this? R&R and let me know!


	15. Burns and Bad News

**Chloe Griffin:** I'm not planning on ending this yet. The sequel is just something I'm toying with. I don't know if I'll get the CIA involved. I don't know that much about them, but I suppose mentioning them…?

**Lizzy-1809:** Why thank you very much, kind lady. A sequel or just a bunch of drabbles at the very least is probably what's going to happen lol

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Lol, I'm not entirely sure. I'm still ironing out the kinks and trying to figure out how everything would work.

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** Any ideas that you could give me would most welcome :^D. And I'm glad you like this so far.

**PureAngelEnchantress:** Well, I'm fairly certain in the next couple of chapters, the unsub gets his butt kicked, but Kae will need to drag herself out of a funk she's soon to find herself in to do it!

**Topa-tantei:** Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad you like this :^)

**CG:** Thanks for your opinion! The idea is still a fifty-fifty, so it's just hanging out there. And good job!! You figured out who he is!!

The next day, the six teens stood in front of the sergeant, who saved his scariest glare for Kae. She glared back, but wisely kept her mouth shut. They were lined up in the sergeant's office. He had called them to the office about five minutes ago and this had been going on for the entire time they were there. Finally, the sergeant spoke.

"You're switching locations." Jessie was so surprised she blurted out her question before thinking her actions through.

"We're leaving?" She blurted (haha, that's not that funny). Everyone shot her incredulous looks. Normally that was Kae's job to speak out of turn. The sergeant glared at her, but since he'd never had problems with her, he let it slip.

"No," he said stiffly. "You're moving to a hut closer to K-unit's." There was silence.

"When, sir?" Alex asked. The sergeant glared at his youngest ever soldier.

"Now. Snake will show you where." he snapped. "Dismissed." The teens filed out, waiting until the door was shut behind them before breaking out in quiet babble.

"Why do you think?" Kae wondered. James snorted.

"For a smart girl, you can be pretty dumb sometimes," he said. She smacked his head. "Ow! It's probably for convenience. We are a far walk from each other, after all."

"Oh…" Kae hadn't thought of that.

The move didn't take long. They packed up their bags and followed Snake further into the camp before being shown a cabin that was a little bigger then they one they had just left. They spent the next ten minutes unpacking in silence.

"Oh, shoot," Kae muttered. Jessie looked at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Kae sighed.

"I left a picture back in the other cabin," she said. "I'm gonna go back and get it."

"I'll go with you," Jessie said. Kae looked at her friend's stuff. Almost half of it was still in the bag. Kae shook her head, yanking her ponytail out to mess up her hair before pulling it back in.

"Nah," she said. "I'll be right back. In and out." She stood and stretched before slipping out past the partition. The guys had already finished and had taken the liberty of snagging her football and throwing it around outside. Kae smiled as she slipped past them unnoticed and then trot back to the old cabin. Snake followed at a bit of a distance, half of his attention on Fox, with whom he was holding an engaging conversation about the time Eagle got drunk at a strip bar.

It had been rather amusing. Especially when they managed to get Wolf just as drunk. And then posted the video on youtube.

He watched as Kae entered the old cabin. He wasn't sure why she was going in there, but he didn't think it could take too long.

--

Kae looked at the small room that suddenly looked bigger without all the bags and the partition. She went to her old bunk slowly and got down on the floor, frowning and lifted up the mattress. Where was that picture? Frowning, she sat back on her ankles and noticed for the first time that the cots were bolted to the floor.

A splash of color caught her attention. She zeroed in on and it realized it was the photograph. She snatched it up triumphantly and folded it in half. It was a picture of Spencer and Morgan, when Morgan was trying to teach Spencer to ballroom dance, something that had amused the team greatly. Kae smiled. Morgan and Spencer were best friends. Kae would even classify them as brothers with different mothers.

A pang of sadness shot through her and Kae could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She cursed herself and willed herself not to cry. She couldn't remember when she had cried so much. She hadn't cried this much even when her parents had died.

Kae tucked in her pocket before turning to leave the room. Before she could take a step, however, something crashed down onto her skull. Kae stumbled forward. The world was tilting and she tried to turn so she could see what had hit her, her first thought being that a beam had finally broken from the ceiling and she'd simply had the misfortune to be standing underneath it. The something hit her again and Kae felt a jolt of panic. This wasn't an accident. This was deliberate. She opened her mouth to scream before the thing hit her again. She slipped into oblivion. Her last thought was, _this isn't supposed to happen._

--

_Screams. She remembers lots of screaming. She hears mommy screaming and whimpers. She didn't like it. Mommy wasn't supposed to scream. She was supposed to make everything better. Elizabeth whimpered from her hiding place. Mommy said she would come back. But why was she screaming?_

_Deciding to be the brave girl that Mommy always said she was when Elizabeth slept alone, the little girl climbed out of the laundry hamper and crawled to the stair railing, poking her head out. Terror boiled up inside her. He was hitting her! Elizabeth felt tears begin to leak down her face as he hit her again and again. _

_Finally, he threw her to the ground. Elizabeth could see her daddy lying on the floor next her mommy. The bad man pulled out a gun and shot round after round into her mother's body, before proceeding to do the same to her father._

_A little girl's wail rose above the gunshots. The bad man looked up at her, only a little bit of surprise showing on his face. Then he simply turned and walked out, leaving the wailing child behind him in the house. _

_Elizabeth smelled smoke, something that confused her. There weren't any flames. There wasn't any smoke. There wasn't even a fire. The memory is messed up, Kae thinks, because there wasn't ever any fire-_

Kae woke up to a hot burning on her wrists. She was lying on the floor and her head hurt, something that confused her. The last thing she remembered was finding the picture. It's hot and hard to breathe, but first Kae has to see why her wrists are hot and-

Oh. No.

Kae yanked frantically against the cuffs. They were wrapped around the leg of the cot and Kae stood up as much as she's allowed to. Smoke swirled around her and Kae dropped back to her knees, coughing. Smoke burned her eyes and Kae yanked desperately. Why wasn't anyone coming? Someone had followed her, right?

Kae pulled against the handcuffs. They refused to budge. Kae opened her mouth to scream and ended up in a coughing fit as soon as the smoke rolled into her mouth. She hacked and bent over, getting closer to the ground. Curse it all, why couldn't have anyone at the BAU taught her how to pick handcuffs?

Swearing and coughing, Kae lay flat on her stomach to avoid the swirling smoke as much as possible. Why wasn't _anyone_ trying to put the fire out? She yanked again and again at the handcuffs, knowing she wasn't going to escape.

Tears started pouring down her face as an animal-like terror took over her body. With a wail, she pulled again and again, bucking furiously, trying to break the metal. She finally stopped, exhausted and coughing so hard, she thought she saw blood hit the floor. _Oh, God, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. Somebody please save. Help me, please, please, please, somebody help me._

She watched numbly as her wrists blistered and smoke stung her eyes. The world was turning blurry. Kae blinked, trying to stay conscious and screamed one last time. It seemed unfair to her to survive an attack on her school, only to be burned.

_I don't want to die…_

--

The soldiers were watching the burning cabin. It was an old cabin that needed to be destroyed anyway and it wasn't close enough to the other forest or the other buildings that it could be a danger. So they let it burn. They didn't think anything of it until the kids ran up, followed by K-unit.

"Where is she?" James yelled, not evening noticing the pain shooting through his nose when he screwed it up to yell.

"Who?" The soldier asked, slightly mocking.

"Kae!" The soldier vaguely recalled that was one of the names of the kids running around the camp.

"She's with you, isn't she?" The soldier asked, not paying anymore attention. Wolf grabbed him. The man stared at him, wide-eyed.

"You haven't seen her anywhere?" He snarled. The recruit shook his head. Wolf was about to say something, when a sound, strangely out of place, captured their attention. It was a thin, animal-like wail. They heard a lot of those and they wouldn't have paid any attention if it hadn't been for the fact it was coming from inside the cabin.

Oh God…

Eagle lost no time in dropping his gun and charging the cabin door. Snake and Fox tried to grab him, but he was too fast. Wolf had his hands full, literally, with the soldier's camouflage and couldn't do anymore then his teammates to stop him. Eagle expertly dodged the other recruits. Snake and Fox settled for trying to keep the kids back from the inferno.

The sergeant came sprinting down when he had finally emerged from his office and paperwork and saw the inferno. He was shouting orders, for everyone to get into their units. He did a head-count of the kids and counted only five. There were supposed to be six. Where was the loudmouth?

--

Eagle burst into the flaming room. He dropped to the floor, since the smoke was too thick up higher. Squinting, he could see Kae lying on the floor. He army crawled over to her, wondering why she had been stupid enough to stay in the building.

His saw his answer a moment later and he saw red. Someone had handcuffed her to the cot. He could see blood where she had cut herself and blisters where the metal was touching. She was unconscious. Eagle roared and grabbed the cot. He would not let her die! He had failed to protect Emily, but he wouldn't even think of letting Kae die such a horrible way.

Ignoring the pain in his hands, he pulled on the leg of the cot. It was flimsy and giving away easily. Eagle grunted and yanked some more, his body protectively shielding Kae's prone form.

--

Wolf started toward the cabin as soon as he heard Eagle's shout. Part of the roof was about to cave. He took off at a dead sprint, only to be tackled by a huge weight. He fell to the ground with a grunt, the air leaving his lungs. He was surprised to find that it was sergeant pinning him down.

"Let me up!" Wolf shouted, struggling against his superior. The sergeant held him down. For someone who could be a grandpa he's surprisingly strong, Wolf thought.

"Stand down," the sergeant said calmly.

"My teammate is in there!" Wolf struggled harder.

"And you won't do the rest of your unit any good if you both die!" The sergeant yelled. Wolf froze. The sergeant was making a fair point, but it didn't make it any easier, knowing that Eagle could die.

--

Eagle nearly fell backwards when he managed to snap the cot leg. It was fortunate that he didn't because the floor behind him was burning. He snatched up the teenager and cradling her against his body, he bent his head down, shoulder forward and crashed through the nearest wall.

Almost at once, a shout went up and Eagle found himself surrounded. His stinging eyes were looking for particular people though. His unit. Where was his unit?

As if reading his thoughts, a newer recruit managed to shove some of the other soldiers out of the way to lead Eagle to his unit. Eagle made a mental note to not give the guy a hard time.

Snake barreled to him, leaving Fox to keep the kids back, something he clearly wasn't happy about. Fox shouted to a nearby unit to escort the others back to the cabin before sprinting over himself. Snake tried to take Kae from Eagle, but a feral snarl that would've made Wolf proud stopped him. Snake saw the protectiveness in his eyes, understood and hustled him to the infirmary.

"She's probably suffering from smoke inhalation," he said. "We don't have the equipment to deal with that here. She's going to need a hospital." The sergeant snapped an order at someone to get in touch with MI6.

"I'll do my best to stabilize her," Snake was saying. "We need to get the handcuffs off. Eagle, set her down on the bed." Eagle stood frozen a moment before setting her down reluctantly.

She wouldn't die. He wouldn't let her. Snake wouldn't let her.

--

Snake couldn't voice the relief he felt when the new recruit led Eagle to them. The girl looked like she'd been through Hades and back, but Snake only had eyes for his teammate, who really _had_ been through hell with him.

He'd been so scared when he heard Eagle shout. But he couldn't tell anyone that. Except his unit. And he certainly couldn't have shown that he was scared at the time. Except for Cub, the rest of the kids were nearly hysterical and he was one of the main adults in their lives right now, whether he liked it or not, so he couldn't exactly voice that.

But Eagle was okay. As long as Eagle was okay, the world was right.

--

Fox let out a quiet sigh of relief when Eagle had made his way over to them. He watched his former teammate and yelled at a nearby soldier to take the kids back to the cabin. He knew that as a spy, he wasn't supposed to have personal ties, but you didn't go through Brecon Beacons and duties in Iraq, just to drop the people you trust the most because you got transferred.

He'd nearly cried when he saw Eagle. Tears of relief, anger, frustration, disbelief, and gratefulness threatened to spill over. If he'd been anywhere else, they would have.

Now he and the rest of the unit were in the St. Dominic's hospital waiting for Eagle to come down from Kae's room. The team knew what he saw in Kae. He saw Emily. He saw his sister and they knew there was no way they could drag him from the room.

But he was alive.

That was all that mattered.

--

It killed the sergeant to stop Wolf from going in and getting Eagle. Whether the soldiers knew it or not, the sergeant looked at those boys as his own sons. Which is why he hadn't let Wolf go in. If he lost Eagle, that would've been bad enough. To lose him _and_ Wolf would've been worse.

He was worried about the unit. The entire unit had followed Eagle to the hospital, leavin the kids in the hands of a unit they trusted, H-unit. The sergeant sat behind his desk, disbelief at the events evident in his features. Good thing the room was empty.

Good thing his boys were safe.

--

Voices.

Voices is what greeted Kae when she came back to the land of the living. Pain pounded against her skull relentlessly, as well as in her wrists. Her skin felt hot in some places and something was covering her face, covering her nose and mouth. She felt herself start to panic and took a deep breath, trying to get her bearings. If this mask was pumping some toxic gas into her system, she'd be dead already.

"You can't tell her that just as she wakes up!" A voice hissed. Kae identified it as Eagle's. The next person who spoke was a woman's and Kae had a little trouble identifying it, but she didn't care at the moment. Tell her what?

"She needs to be told, soldier. She deserves to know."

"You'll slow her recovery. Snake said so!" Kae decided to make it known that she was awake at this point. She groaned slightly and the voices froze. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was bright and Kae decided that if this is what a hangover felt like, people who wanted to get drunk were idiots.

"Kae?" A gentle voice said. She tried to say something, but the voice shushed her. "Don't talk. The doctor said you probably have a little bit of damage to your vocal cords." It took her a moment to realize the person was Eagle.

Kae forced her eyes open, wincing and noticing them watering at the bright light. Eagle's face was looming above her, concerned.

"Do you remember what happened?" He asked. She shook her head and immediately wished she hadn't. Pain flared up behind her eyes. Eagle noticed.

"Do you need any medication? I can call a doctor," he offered. Kae shook her head again, this time more slowly. She didn't want to be doped up. Her eyes traveled around the room and she saw Mrs. Jones. A questioning look was all she needed to get going.

"Kae," she began. "I'm afraid I have some bad news." Kae's fists clenched the hospital sheets. "Our agents discovered the location of your cousin…" As Mrs. Jones talked, her voice faded out. Kae only caught words like "explosion" and "nothing anyone could've done" and "so sorry." Only one thing stuck out in her mind though.

Spencer was dead.

There's this chapter!!!! There. You have it in writing. Spencer is dead. But it won't always be so depressing don't worry!!!!!! And the sergeant isn't a total jerk!!!


	16. Numb and Kiss of Life

**Chloe Griffin:** *Grumbles* Confuse me, why don't you? Lol, jk. Lots of things are going to happen now *winks* You're just gonna have to wait…*evil laughter*

**Zenbon zakura:** It's very easy: I type the words "Spencer is dead." But, no I didn't like doing it, but I consider it necessary to my plot. So yes, for the time being, Spencer is dead. Wow…that made no sense. And Fox isn't the spy! Remember in the books he got transferred over to MI6, then he got shot b/c of Alex so he went back to his old unit (don't ask me why they never replaced them. I think Wolf was not-so-deliberately having issues with every new replacement, the jerkface)

**Izzy-I.R.T:** I think Eagle is really a sweet person and people always focus on him being a big goof-ball. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I do it too, but we see Eagle serious and we see Eagle goofy. I've never seen him sweet. Okay, I'm sure it's there somewhere, but I haven't found one.

(A/N) Okay you know what, I'm just going to skip to the story now. Enjoy, boys and girls!

Girls, the end of the chapter, not the very end, the part before that, is especially for you.

Kae went back to America for the funeral. The plane ride was long. It was silent and tense. Elle was going back with her and Eagle and Fox had been assigned to go with them. They were on a private plane that MI6 had provided. Kae thought it strongly resembled the plane that the team used. Taking advantage of this, she grabbed a single seat where nobody could talk to her. Elle was talking quietly to Fox and Eagle was hovering kinda close to Kae, but not close enough to smother. It had taken Kae nearly three weeks before she was well enough to be discharged. Since there wasn't a body, they could wait until she was well enough to travel.

It was a small one. The funeral home was small and stuffy. Kae hated it. She was in an itchy black dress. She personally hated the thing, but Spencer had bought it for her last Christmas, so she wore it. The voices were hushed as Kae entered the room. Ignoring everyone, Kae headed straight for the casket and ran her fingers over it lightly. She felt tears well up and forced them down. Spencer had always told her that she shouldn't cry over him. When they had found him after he'd been kidnapped by Tobias, she had started bawling like a baby. Spencer had hushed her and told her that he wasn't leaving so she didn't ever need to cry.

_You left now, Spencer. Can I cry now?_ She thought bitterly, clenching her fist on the lid. She could see her reflection and in consequence, see Spencer. For the first time in her life, Kae hated the strong resemblance bore between them. It was too painful. The casket was a closed casket because they were rather lacking in a body. She didn't say a word as people hugged her and then when that was all done with, she went and stood by the window, looking out. It was October and the outside was chilly and the sky grey and overcast. Morgan stood with her. If it would rain, Kae reflected, then the whole world would cry. Just for Spencer.

Morgan was talking to her quietly. She wasn't actually listening, but she would look up at him every now and then, searching his face. It took anyone who might have been watching to figure out that she was looking for hope. To see if Morgan thought Spencer was somehow still alive. Nobody knew if she found what she was looking for.

The pastor gave a short eulogy. Kae bent her head and scowled. The pastor said this stuff at every funeral, she thought, feeling hot angry tears welling up. He shouldn't be talking. He didn't even know Spencer. Kae should've said something, but she simply didn't have the will to. Morgan ended up speaking instead. Kae was reminded of the impromptus that she had had to give in speech class before the attack.

When they were done, they travelled to a small, out-of-the-way cemetery. Kae hated that too. It was small, so that meant people would forget about it. That meant her cousin would be forgotten. He didn't deserve that. She was shivering as the chill wind blew around them. She picked a red rose from the bouquet and squeezed it, not registering the thorns. When Eagle made a strangled sound from beside her, she looked at him, puzzled. He was starting at her hand. Curious, she looked down at it.

She blinked in surprise at the crimson flow from between her fingers. She looked at Eagle and shrugged slightly before walking to the grave and dropping the rose in. A little bit of her blood trickled from the stem to the coffin.

She stayed in America one more night after the funeral and then she and Elle flew back. Elle couldn't come with her to the SAS training camp, but she went and stayed with Jack again.

Kae sat in the back of a jeep again, though this time it wasn't raining. Not that it mattered, Kae was just as cold she had been before. She was curled up against the cab, using the small bag she had packed as a pillow and trying to sleep, failing miserably.

When she hopped down from the jeep, the sergeant was waiting. The rest of her group was back in the cabin. Eagle and Fox stood on either side of her at attention. Kae didn't hear the sergeant speak, because she already knew what he was saying. It was something along the lines of, "You're going to continue things as normal."

Kae could tell Eagle and Fox were tensing up behind her, expecting her to shoot off her mouth. Kae only shrugged and nodded, mumbling, "Yes, sir." There was dead silence for a moment as everyone stared at her in shock. The sergeant recovered the quickest and dismissed her.

They had been expecting her to mouth off, but she had answered the way she should've at the beginning of their stay.

It was a little scary.

--

Numb. Numb. Numb. Numb. Numb. Numbness. Numb. Numb.

That's all Kae felt. That's all she felt as she recovered. It didn't take long, only a couple of weeks. That's all she felt at the funeral. Well, that and bitterness. Kae went for her daily check-ups that had been ordered by the doctor at St. Dominic. Every day for the next two weeks, the head medic declared her fine and finally she stopped going after awhile, getting a little bored.

Every day, everyone else worried about her a little more. They had watched her the past few weeks and you would have to be deaf, blind and dumb to not notice her new monotonous routine.

The life had left her eyes. She seemed to be running on autopilot, locking herself inside with her own personal demons. Tom watched her, worried. Technically she was alive. But Tom didn't think she was living. He thought she was going through the motions of living while she died. It looked to be a rather slow and painful death.

She hadn't cried. Not when Mrs. Jones told her. Not at the funeral. Not when they lowered the closed casket into the ground. It was an empty casket. No body was recovered, though they still had people going through the rubble, looking for them. Not they had found any yet.

She hadn't cried once. And that in itself worried them. Kae had been hysterical when she found out that SCORPIA had taken Spencer. And now she couldn't even muster up the energy to cry.

Eagle had all but dragged her to the therapist on base. When he had stormed into their cabin less than two days after the funeral and told Kae he was taking her to see the therapist, she had looked at him blankly and said one of the most random things ever.

"You know "therapist" is "the rapist" put together?"

Eagle started calling the therapist a psychiatrist after that.

She frustrated the psychiatrist to no end. The man was used to the soldiers coming in angry and raving, angry and silent, scared and silent, depressed and silent. She could've made the perfect SCORPIA operative for all the information he'd managed to get from her. Which translated into none.

Kae had taken to walking by herself. Somewhere along the way, she'd stopped following the buddy-system rule and would just walk out by herself. Eagle was always the one to go with her. If he or anyone from K-unit couldn't be there, he had made Lynx from H-unit promise to be with her. The man had looked at him with sympathy and agreed.

She would wander down to the lake and then just sit on the end of the dock with her shoes off, just kicking idly at the water. Her unfinished homework piled up. She went to bed late and barely ate. Jessie became her unofficial caretaker, bless her heart, and started to make sure she got to bed early and ate at least half of her meals.

She didn't do anything. Something that everyone, much to their surprise, missed sorely. Her loud voice was no longer heard shouting at something across the lawn and little "mishaps" stopped happening. The kids were doing their best to cheer her up. When that didn't work, they tried to get her to talk. That didn't work either. They were stuck.

"Can't you do something?" Jessie finally said to James one day. The tall boy looked at her in surprise. They were outside the cabin. K-unit, as usual, were surrounding the cabin, but they were listening to the conversation attentively. Kae was out walking and she would be getting back soon.

"Like what?"He hissed. "We've tried everything." Jessie shrugged, gesturing helplessly.

"I don't know," she said. "Get her mad or something. You're the best at it." James stared at her. Jessie was staring at him impatiently.

"What do you want me to do?" Jessie shrugged again.

"I don't know," she said. "Attack her pride. That, if anything, will get a rise out of her." James grew thoughtful, before lighting up.

"Jessie, that's brilliant," he said. "Why didn't we think of that before?" He wrapped her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. An annoyed voice floated from inside the cabin.

"Oy! That's my cousin, Freeman! Hands off!" James chuckled and called back to Luke.

"No worries, mate. You just have a brilliant cousin."

"I know." Jessie rolled her eyes before the two of them headed inside to wait for Kae to return.

--

"I think you're weak," were the first words out of James' mouth when Kae walked into the cabin. She snapped her head around at his voice, eyes wide with surprised. James wasn't expecting to see any emotion yet, but encouraged, he continued. Before he started speaking again, her eyes glazed over and she continued to her bed.

"It's true," he said. "You're not tough. You're just a scared, weak, little girl." Kae knew he was trying to get a rise out of her, she knew she'd be stupid to respond, but his jabs were working. "One thing goes wrong in your life and you just shut down. You get too scared to deal with it. You always need someone to hold your hand."

There was dead silence in the cabin and outside around it. Jessie was sitting with Luke on his cot. They had been playing Rummy(1). Tom and Alex were sitting together doing homework. At least, they were pretending to do homework. Alex may be a super-spy, but he was also a teenager. He was just as curious as everyone else to see how this would play out.

"I'm surprised nobody has gotten sick of you yet," James sneered. "Back in America, you were probably a clingy, whiny brat." Kae's fists clenched. Her shoulders were shaking, her eyes were slits and her face white.

"I bet your family couldn't stand you. It's no wonder. If they've had to baby you-"

"Shut. Up." Her voice was low and carried a warning that even the most foolish of fools would listen to. But James didn't let up.

"And now! I bet your cousin was embarrassed because of you! I would be too! You're selfish! Do you think he would've wanted you to do this?" James pressed on relentlessly. Jessie winced. Outside, K-unit was rather shocked. They'd forgotten how cruel teenagers could be. "Do you think he would've wanted you to shut down just because he died? You're a selfish brat who can't think of anyone besides herself and how she feels sorry for herself! A brat who isn't thinking of your other family-"

With a shriek to rival a banshee's, Kae spun around and launched herself at James. Her eyes were wild, but James was expecting this. He grabbed her wrists before she managed to break his newly healed nose(2) and held her at arm length.

"Shut up!" She screamed at him. "Shut up! You don't know…you don't know…anything!" James stared at her impassively.

"I know enough," he said coldly. "I know enough that you don't care enough about your cousin to keep living for him. I know enough to know that you don't care enough about your family, who are probably worried sick about you because I guarantee you MI6 is giving them updates about you." Kae froze, confusion coloring her features. She stared at him, blinking.

"I thought-I thought you said you thought they didn't care about me?" James normally would've snorted at her slowness, but he gave her a break this time, seeing as he just forced her into a rage and hopefully out of a depression.

"They do care about you, Kae," he said. "But you shouldn't worry them." Kae's brows were wrinkled and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"But…" she whispered, brokenly. "Spencer was always trying to get me to follow the rules. I thought…I thought he would want this." James nearly groaned out loud. Kae was intelligent, but sometimes she could be so _stupid._

"Kae," James said patiently, loosening his grip now that she was no longer trying to scratch his eyes out. "Spencer loved you, all right? And he probably did want you to follow the rules, but he didn't mean to stop taking care of yourself and quite honestly, I don't think he wanted you to follow the rules."

"Why?" Kae asked him, sounding remarkably like a small child.

"Because life would be too boring if you did," James winked. Kae glowered at him before smacking his arm.

"Shut up," she grumbled. "You're just jealous." She looked around, as if remembering the others were in the cabin with them. Jessie looked triumphant and Kae narrowed her eyes at her before turning back to James.

"Did Jessie put you up to that?" She asked him, glaring suspiciously at the smaller girl. Jessie now looked far too innocent.

"No." James's voice was smooth and Kae knew she was lying. Her eyes narrowed.

"James," she said in a patronizing voice. "I am a profiler. Don't try to lie to me." James rolled his eyes and pulled her into a hug. Kae 'eep'ed in surprise. Since her face was buried in his chest, she missed him gesturing for the others to leave quietly.

"Kae," he said, changing the subject dramatically. "Did you cry at the funeral?" Kae started and tried to pull back, but James held her fast.

"No," she finally answered, her voice muffled by the shirt.

"Have you cried at all?" He heard Kae sigh impatiently.

"No," she said. "Why does it matter? It feels like crying will be like finally…finally admitting that he's go-gone." Her voice trembled and broke. James sighed. She needed closure, but she didn't want it. He began stroking her head.

"It's okay to cry," he whispered. "Sometimes you just need to let go."

"But-but he's not gone!" Kae whispered, but he could hear the tears in her voice and he could hear her trying to hold them back. "He can't be." This was said in a whisper.

"Kae…" James sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Just let him go. It'll be easier for you." He heard a sob hitching in her throat and whispered soothing words to her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight like he was her only lifeline.

They sat there for who knows how long, but Kae finally pulled away and she wiped her eyes. She noticed that she had gotten snot all over his uniform as well and giggled.

"Sorry," she said. "I-I didn't mean to." James looked down at his uniform and then back up at Kae, who was wiping her tears and giggling. Before he could stop himself he leaned forward. Kae stopped and was watching him with wide eyes.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned forward and kissed her.

--

He was sad for his love. She was sad and depressed. She needed something to cheer her up. But he couldn't deliver it personally. No, that would blow their cover and they couldn't have that! They weren't ready!

When she came back, he wanted to die. She looked so…empty. Like she had nothing left to live for. It had gone on like that for weeks. He wanted to help her, but he hadn't been able to get close. K-unit was hovering around them, all but snarling at anyone who got close and the kids were even closer.

He had tried to leave a note, but he was having trouble getting there without being seen. He needed them! He wanted them! They were _his!_ He needed to tell the smaller one first. She was more stabilized and would be thinking clearly. She would understand.

Now he just had to tell her…

And there's just a smidge of romance in this chapter! Hopefully there will be some more in the future chapters :D

1: I have absolutely no clue how to play Rummy, so I don't know if it's a two person game or not lol

2: I also have never had a broken nose so I don't know how long it takes for them to heal.

If anyone wishes to correct me on either of these two things, please feel free to do so cause odds are I'll probably need it lol.


	17. Ionic Bonds and Daffodils

**Chloe Griffin:** Heehee that makes me happy that you weren't expecting that. And no, no one knows yet. I'm planning on revealing it to them, but I'm not sure how yet. Any ideas?

**Izzy-I.R.T:** I'm not going to totally zero in on their relationship, but you will see it in the story through their interactions. Thanks for the help lol. And I'm working on revealing the unsub soon. Still a little stuck on the infiltrator, but I've got a rough idea for the unsub being revealed.

**Aphrodite ** **100:** I'm glad you like this even if it's not a romance. (Well, it kinda is, but I think its more friendship than anything.) I had briefly considered an Alex/Kae, but decided against it lol.

**Artisticlynotartistic:** I'm hoping to show who he is soon!

**Akuma-beast-16:** I would like to point out that the story isn't about _Alex_. The story is about _Kae._ As stated in the summary.

Anyways…..just because I've deemed myself no longer lazy, I'm going to put a disclaimer up…No, better yet…KAE!!!!

Kae: What? *glares grumpily*

Me: Do the disclaimer.

Kae: Why can't you?

Me: Because I am your creator!!!!!!! In this fanfiction, I am the equivalent of a god!!!!!!! That's why.

James: You're a jerk.

Me: I'll get over it. Minion! Disclaimer! Now!

Kae: *scowling and mumbling* Lovergirl85 doesn't own Alex Rider or anything that Anthony Horowitz comes out with.

Alex: Thank god…

Me: Hey!

Tom: That's all folks! Enjoy!

Jessie: Somebody help us all.

*Luke is in the corner praying for his sanity*

--

Life seemed to blossom out of Kae after that. Everyone had been surprised when Kae and James had emerged from the cabin about ten minutes later, holding hands and walking down to the lake. Eagle had followed, scowling murderously.

"In all honesty, I was expecting you to break my nose again," James said. Kae giggled and ducked her head.

"You would deserve it," she told him, her face turning a brilliant shade of magenta. James chuckled. Kae tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. There was silence for as they walked.

"How come you wouldn't cry?" James asked suddenly. Kae felt a pang go through her chest. Her grip on his hand tightened and glancing down, he saw her knuckles were white. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Eagle glaring at him like an over-protective big brother. James gulped silently.

"I-I guess I don't think he's dead," Kae finally said quietly. James refocused his attention on her. "It's stupid, I guess." Sighing with something akin to frustration, she ran a hand through her brown locks. Looking past Eagle, seemingly oblivious to his death-glare directed at her new boyfriend, she could see Jessie and Luke's flaming red hair.

"Why do you think he's still alive?" James winced at his tone. It had come out harsher than he had intended. Kae's head snapped around to look at him, her green eyes glaring. Before she could say anything though, James clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shh," he said. "I didn't mean it like that." Her eyes remained glaring while she searched his face before they relaxed and she jerked her head away from his hand. Sighing she turned back to look over the lake, ignoring the drizzle. Really, she was going to start growing mushrooms if she stayed much longer.

"Do you think you share a bond with someone you're close to?" She asked him. "I mean, kind of like twins but not as strong?" James shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "I guess you could. Why?" Kae sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm going to sound so stupid," she said. "I guess I think he's still alive because if he were dead I would've killed myself." James gaped at her. She saw his gaze and shrugged. "It's true. He's just always been the one that I cared the most about." She shrugged helplessly. "I can't explain it, but it's always seemed like we were closer than close and…oh, I don't know." The scowl was back on her face, but this time it was frustration.

"I think I kind of understand what you're saying," James said slowly. Seeing Kae's skeptical glance, he grinned guiltily. "All right, I lied. I have no clue what you're saying." Kae chuckled lightly and then jumped as a crack of thunder came from nowhere.

"I think that would be our cue to head back," James said. They headed back to the cabin, passing Eagle who didn't stop glaring at James. James picked up the pace a little bit to get away from him.

--

"Alex?" The blond boy looked up at the sound of his name. Jessie was the one who had spoken, but she was frowning at the chemistry book on her lap.

"Yeah?" He asked. She gave a huff of frustration. Not at him, but at what she was reading.

"Do you understand chemistry? At all?" She looked up at him, slightly pleading. Alex sighed and moved over to sit on the bed with her.

"Yeah," he said. "The ionic bonding…"(1)

When he finished, Jessie looked up at him, gratitude in her eyes. It had taken about ten minutes to explain the entire thing and when he was finally finished, he could tell she understood his explanation better than the teacher's.

"You should be a teacher," she told him as she set about working out the rest of the problems.

"I don't think I'd make a very good teacher." Jessie laughed lightly.

"Yes, you would," she argued. "The explanation that Ms. Forte gave us made no sense."

"Ms. Forte doesn't make sense ever." Jessie conceded with a small noise from the back of her throat. There was silence as she worked. Alex leaned back on the bed, not bothering to go back to his and watched her. The silence was broken by Jessie again.

"Alex, where do you disappear to? At night?" She felt him stiffen beside her and knew she'd asked the wrong question.

"I suffer insomnia," he said. Jessie tutted and Alex knew she knew he was lying.

"Have you talked to anyone about it?" She asked. "I'm sure they have medication." Alex cursed her. Why didn't she just let it drop? _Because she knows you're lying,_ a traitorous voice in the back of his head told him.

"It's not a big deal," he said. "I still function during the day, don't I?" Jessie looked up at him, annoyance and concern now etched in her features.

"You're being stupid," she said. "If you're not getting enough sleep-"

"I'm fine," he interrupted her. "I'm getting enough sleep, I just wake up at odd hours, that's all." He moved back to his cot. Jessie scowled at his back before stretching and standing.

"I'm going to the loo," she said before leaving.

--

She didn't hear him approaching. She had told the soldiers where she was going and since the bathrooms weren't that far and there were dozens of soldiers between here and the bathrooms that had "adopted" the kids, Fox and Wolf felt secure in letting Jessie go by herself. Eagle and Snake were with the other four on a re-training exercise that Kae had somehow managed to land them all in.

In fact, when she was aware of her presence, walking back to the cabin, she turned to him with a friendly smile. Jessie knew she should be careful…the unsub was still out there, but there was a group of soldiers fifty feet away. They were superstitiously watching her, but not paying close attention. Jessie was just one of those people who was friendly no matter what.

"Hi," she greeted him. The man smiled easily at her and Jessie felt whatever tension that had been in her muscles leave, allowing her to relax. If the man was the rapist, he wouldn't be so bold, would he? Kae said that he approached from behind. Jessie had read in the file.

"Hey," he returned warmly. "You're the one who liked daffodils, right?" Jessie cocked her head to the side. She loved daffodils, but she didn't recall ever sharing that detail with any of the soldiers and she didn't think anyone else would share that detail either.

"Yes…" she said cautiously. "Bit of an odd way to differentiate." The soldier shrugged.

"I remembered because my wife loved daffodils," he told her. "I heard it that the red-head girl liked daffodils. Well, you're the only red-head girl around so I assumed that was you." Red flags went up, but Jessie forced herself to remain friendly.

"I see," she said. "Was there anything you need?" The man now fidgeted and Jessie felt herself relaxing again. He was nervous, something she was sure P wouldn't be.

"Well," he said. "You see, you remind me a lot of my wife…" Seeing her look, he backtracked hastily. "I mean, how you look and stuff!" Jessie nodded, but she was tense again. "So I had seen some daffodils…" He moved to one of the cabins close by. Jessie followed him from a distance. "I'll stay out where people can see me, but they're right around the corner."

"And you couldn't just give them to me out here because…?" Jessie crossed her arms, no longer pretending to be friendly.

"The guys will tease me," he said, sounding a little desperate. "I have a name to uphold, you know?" Jessie nodded.

"All right," she said. "But only if you stay here." The man grinned.

"Thanks," he said. "Right here."

Jessie was tense as she walked around the side of the cabin. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen, but she couldn't place it. Something caught her eye though, that made her relax slightly. There were daffodils, just as the man had promised.

He came from behind.

She never saw it coming.

She should've.

She bent down to pick them up, only to receive a blow to the head. Blackness started to close in on her and she felt arms catch her just before she hit the ground, a warm breath on her ear. The arms picked her up tenderly and she felt a folded piece of paper being slipped into her hand just before she lost consciousness completely.

:O!!!!!!! He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!! What'll they do???

1: I don't know the first thing about chemistry, so I usually fall back on ionic bonding…dunno if you noticed that at all.


	18. Fainting and Happiness

**Turn-On-The-Stars: **Well, they're going to argue a lot…she might end up hitting him again…and then there's Eagle who looks at her like a younger sister! James has got his hands full, that's for sure!

**Chloe Griffin:** Thank you, because honestly, I'd forgotten all about those. Well, not the first one but the other two lol. Poor Jessie is going to be so traumatized by the end of this story…

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Well, Luke does the best that he can and Alex is just annoying sometimes, no matter how cute he is :D

Okay, no joke, Purple Gal has pretty good story going. It starts off a little slow, but she needs more reviewers!!!! Go read her story and spread the love! Because she's an amazing writer…seriously.

Me: James!

James: What?

Me: You get to do the disclaimer.

James: Why?

Me: Cause I said so. *James grumbles* Oh, stop it.

James: I hate disclaimers.

Kae: Lovergirl!!!!!!

Me: That's sounds really weird coming from you…

Kae: Shut up! Make Eagle stop stalking me!! *Sulks*

Eagle: Kae, I'm your protection detail. I'm not stalking you.

Kae: Yeah, my _self-appointed_ protection detail.

Me: Actually, he's kind of not self-appointed.

Kae: *Narrows eyes* You didn't.

Me: I did *Smug look* James, we're off-topic. Do the disclaimer.

James: *Grumbles* Lovergirl85 doesn't own Alex Rider or anything associated with it. She does however own Kae, Jessie, Luke, and I and any of those SAS soldiers that she randomly threw. She is a tyrant-

Me: O-KAY, you're done. Enjoy, folks!

Pain. Pain was what Jessie woke up too. That and the inability to move. Jessie did a quick mental search of her body and deduced that no bones were broken. Then why couldn't she move? She tried to move her hands and discovered, quite rapidly, that her ankles and wrists were tied tightly.

Something tickled her nose and Jessie opened her eyes. From behind the gag she resisted the urge to scream. Sitting a few feet away was the man who had promised her daffodils. Jessie felt stupid. She was like a kid who had been promised candy from a total stranger if they got in the car with them. _Go behind the cabin and get daffodils,_ she thought bitterly. _I really am stupid._

He was facing away from her, humming quietly. Jessie tried to see what she was doing, but since he was facing away from her, all she could see was him hunched over something. She looked at her surroundings. Her back was up against a large boulder and Jessie whimpered quietly. They were in a clearing surrounded by pines. Jessie was lying in a field of daffodils.

The once sweet-smelling fragrance now smelt sickly to Jessie now. She wanted away from the daffodils. She didn't want them anywhere near her. One was just barely touching her nose, ghosting over her skin. The smell filled her nostrils and Jessie resisted the urge to gag.

Jessie saw the man stand and hastily shut her eyes. She heard him getting closer until he was towering over her. Jessie forced her breathing to remain calm and not to flinch when he tucked some hair behind her ear. Then he gently lifted her head and placed something around her neck. Jessie guessed it was a plant from the texture.

"You'll be happy when you wake up, love," he whispered to her. "I have to go now, but you'll be happy when you wake up." Jessie waited until she heard him walk away and waited until she couldn't hear him anymore before opening her eyes.

He had placed a daffodil chain around her neck.

Jessie felt the tears start falling down her face.

_Lord, help me._

--

Alex looked up as the door open, expecting Jessie to come. Instead, it was Tom, Luke, Kae and James. Kae and James were bickering loudly, despite their new-found love for each other. They were covered in mud and Tom had a nasty scrape on his cheek.

"Maybe if you hadn't tripped me I wouldn't have slowed everyone down!"

"Please, McGregor, just because you're so clumsy you can trip over nothing-"

"It was a gravity hotspot, okay?"

"I thought I tripped you."

"…"

"Ha."

"Shut up."

"I love you too." Kae disappeared behind the partition muttering, "No you don't." James rolled his eyes, smiling fondly.

"Did you guys see Jessie at all?" Alex asked them. Luke whipped around at the mention of his cousin. James shook his head.

"No," he said. "All of K-unit is here, so she must be nearby."

"No," Kae's voice contradicted him, she wasn't outside. We would've seen her." She emerged wearing slightly cleaner clothes and vowing to go the laundry first chance she got.

"She went to the loo," Alex said. "But that was a while ago." Kae frowned before opening her mouth. We all know how hard it is to open the door and talk to the person in a normal voice.

"Wolf!" Kae yelled. The man burst in, gun ready. "Snap!" She dove out of the way. "I just wanted to ask where Jessie was." Wolf relaxed and glared at her.

"She went to the loo," he snapped. Kae rolled her eyes.

"How long ago?" She asked him. Suddenly the man looked unsure.

"About half an hour ago…"

--

He came back when Jessie was trying to loosen her bonds. She hadn't heard him approach, so when he spoke Jessie nearly had a heart attack.

"Love, what's wrong?" He crooned, kneeling in front of her. Jessie cringed away. "I won't hurt you. We're supposed to be together." Jessie felt hot tears sliding down her face and she struggled harder against the ropes binding her. They were cutting into her wrists, rubbing them raw and Jessie could feel blood where the ropes had rubbed her skin too much.

"Let me go," she whimpered. "Please." Jessie swore that she could feel the man's confusion coming off him in waves.

"Aren't you happy?" He asked, sounding morose. "I brought you here so you would be happy." Jessie shook her head.

"No," she gasped. "I'm not happy. Please, let me go."

"But I want you to be happy…"

--

K-unit couldn't keep any of them in the cabin. After discovering that Jessie _might_ be missing, the teenagers wouldn't be deterred. They had walked carefully to the bathroom and by that time, the soldiers had gotten other units searching for the estranged teenager.

"Hey!" There was a shout from behind one of the cabins. "I found something!" He came back around, holding a bouquet of daffodils. He walked up to the teens. Kae recognized him as Falcon. Holding the flowers out in front of him, he displayed them.

"Mean anything to you?" He asked. Luke looked pale under his freckles. "Kid?"

"Daffodils are Jessie's favorite flower," he said. There was silence as everyone digested this.

"Guys?" Kae said. "Can I talk to you?" They followed her back to the cabin. K-unit followed. They knew something was wrong. They'd known for months. The only one who was good at hiding things was Cub. But the kids also knew how to shut their mouths tighter than clams.

Kae shivered from the cold. Where on earth had they gotten daffodils? Wouldn't they be dead already? It was nearing the middle of freaking November! Heh, it would be Christmas soon. But after Thanksgiving. But they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in England…Kae shook herself out of unrelated thoughts and turned to the guys once they were in the cabin.

"I'm pretty sure we all know what just happened," she said, trying to keep calm. "No doubt we'll need to talk to the sergeant about this. But the unsub had completely strayed from his profile. I think it's the new environment. I'm going to try and get in touch with Elle, since she's a sexual crimes expert. Her number is on my cell, in my bag."

"What does this have to do with my cousin?" Luke snarled. Kae looked at him calmly.

"We don't have time for that," she said. "We'll get Jessie back, _unviolated._ But right now, we're going to need to talk to the sergeant." As if on cue, Wolf opened the door.

"We're going to the sergeant." They exchanged looks and Kae squeezed Luke's hand comfortingly. They filed out past K-unit and began the walk up the grassy slope to the sergeant.

Suddenly, Kae faltered. She stopped. Her movement caused the others to stop and look at her. Alex was watching her carefully. She bowed her head, winking so only he could see. She swayed slightly and thought of the most disgusting image she could think of. It didn't take long. She had the BAU to thank for that, with all the photographs put on the evidence board.

"Kae? Are you all right? You're looking a little pale," Tom said, moving closer to look at her face. Kae looked up at them.

"I think…I think I'm gonna-" And then she collapsed. There was an outburst from the kids, but Eagle merely scooped her up and told Snake, "I'm taking her back to the cabin." Kae was having a little trouble keeping the triumphant smirk off her face, but she could loll her head forward, so it wasn't like it was going to be seen or anything.

--

Alex was swearing under his breath. Kae was going after the unsub by herself. She was an idiot. He was fuming inside, but he also knew Kae was their best bet at delaying the rape as long as possible. Since the unsub had strayed, they needed to talk to someone. Kae mentioned Elle. Alex had wondered why she was telling them where her phone was and now it all made sense. She was going after the unsub and they needed someone who could figure out the mind of the person.

He slanted a look at James, but the boy hadn't figured it out yet. He was frowning as they were led into the office. He caught James's eye and the boy frowned at him. Alex made a subtle gesture to the bathroom. It would raise suspicion, they weren't girls after all, but Alex needed to talk to him.

"Oi, I need to go to the loo," James said.

"Yeah, me too." They sounded like regular teenagers. Wolf muttered something under his breath and was watching suspiciously as they made their way to the double-stall bathroom.

"What?" James said as soon as the door was shut behind him.

"Kae is going after the unsub." James swore and made to charge out of the room. Alex grabbed his arm.

"Let me go," James snarled. Alex tightened his grip. When James continued to struggle, Alex twisted his arm behind his back painfully. James winced and would've continued to struggle if Alex hadn't spoken.

"I can break your arm in three places if I so choose. Don't move. Kae needs to do this on her own. We can help by delaying the sergeant as long as possible. If we tell them, we may not find Jessie in time." He released James when he thought the taller boy had calmed down.

"How do you know he can't help?" James asked, breathing a little heavily and watching Alex walk towards the door.

"Adults are never reliable," was his short answer before walking out and slamming the door shut behind him.

James stared after him for a few moments before following.

What did he mean by that?

--

Kae sat up as soon as Eagle went outside. He was prowling back and forth in front of the cabin, which meant he wasn't watching the windows in the back. He had carried her back gently and laid her on the bed before sitting for a few minutes.

She eased open the window and winced when it squeaked slightly. She stepped quietly on the bed, her heart pounding and every noise she made seemed magnified. Finally though, Kae managed to land on the frozen ground with a muffled thud. Thank goodness Eagle hadn't heard. She slipped back quietly into the pine trees.

She had recalled seeing a daffodil field earlier during their stay and that's where she was heading now. She didn't have any clue where it was though. She sighed. It was gonna be a long search.

She picked her way carefully to the lake. She could normally get her bearings from there. She gave a quick sigh of relief when the body of water came into view. Now the daffodil field was north of the lake and…Kae gaped. She was going to have to go all the way around the lake and up a huge hill. All before people noticed she was missing.

Kae took off running, grateful for the last two months of intensive trainging.

_Hang on, Jessie._

If Alex seems OOC I apologize for that :P

And this is where I end this chapter! Sorry!! But honestly, everyone has a love/hate relationship with cliffies. I'm just helping you all nurture this beautiful relationship! Cheerio!


	19. Brambles and Emotionless

**Chloe Griffin:** The infiltrator is coming into play really soon, no worries! And kudos for your guesses as to who's saving them!

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Hee, unfortunately for all readers of my story/hopefully soon to be stories, I love keeping you in suspense…sort of like payback for all the stories that I've been kept in suspense for…nothing personal lol

**FCgrl: ***Beams* I love you too lol. Don't worry, nothing happens to anyone…expect maybe the unsub *cough cough*

**Aphrodite100:** Yay! And don't worry, I love you anyway :D

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** Well, I just bliddy updated!! (I think I guessed lol)

Okay, this chapter is more on the serious side, but if you somehow managed to find anything funny, please let me know lol.

Jessie: This chapter sucks.

Me: *Innocently* Why?

Jessie: Cuz I almost get raped, that's why!

Me: Well…you _could_ get raped…I could always go back and rewrite the chapter…

Jessie: No, that's okay!

Me: Do the disclaimer.

Jessie: Ever hear of manners?

Me: Nope.

Jessie: You're hopeless. *long-suffering sigh* Lovergirl85 does _not_ own any of the Alex Rider characters owned by Anthony Horowitz as much as she wishes she did.

Me: Enjoy!

Jessie: Sadist…

Kae winced as she got scratched with yet another bramble. She had been pushing through them for the past who-knows-how long and now she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep this pace much longer. Her endurance had sky-rocketed since coming here, but she wasn't the most athletic person there. She also wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her promise to Luke.

Her breath rose up small puffs of smoke and Kae was reminded of the times that she and a group of her friends had rolled up some regular grass in paper and pretended to be smoking. Kae could remember the teacher nearly blowing a fuse and giving them detention for a week. She resisted the sudden urge to giggle insanely.

Swearing violently under her breath, Kae pushed through another of patch undergrowth and stumbled into a daffodil field.

--

Alex had an advantage Kae didn't. He knew the SAS training grounds. They had sat in the sergeant's office before the sergeant came in to tell them that they were to remain in their cabin and that there were several units out looking for Jessie.

K-unit escorted them back to the cabin. Eagle was waiting outside. The kids filed into the cabin. Alex made sure he was in first so as they came in he could place a hand over their mouth so they would understand to be quiet.

Alex shut the door tightly behind him and went to make sure the windows were shut. One was open. Alex supposed that was where Kae had slipped out, clever girl.

"Tom," he said quietly, digging through Kae's bag for her phone. He found it near the bottom and turned it on. "Call Elle, the woman Kae left with when she went to her cousin's funeral."

"Alex, what are you doing?" Luke said.

"Going after Kae," Alex said. "You three need to stay here, to help stall them if they come in. They probably won't, but just in case, say Kae and I are sleeping in the back."

"Why can't we come with you?" James objected.

"Didn't you just hear him? We need to stall them," Tom snapped. "Alex knows what to do. Let him do his thing."

"Do his thing?" James repeated with a sneer. "What is he, some sort of spy?" Tom nearly froze at the words, but luckily kept his reaction calm. Alex was already out the window.

"No," he said. "But his uncle was an undercover cop. He knows what to do in situations like these."

Alex knew what daffodil field Kae had mentioned. She had noticed when the two of them had been working together on a survival hike and had gotten excited, unable to "believe SAS actually let flowers grow in the camp." Word for word. Needless to say it had taken a little while to drag her away from the field.

Alex knew there were some four-wheelers(1) locked up in a shed. He knew that the daffodil field was accessible by four-wheelers. He added two plus two and came up with four. (I think you all know where this is going XD)

He slipped into the woods and glanced back at the cabin in time to see Tom shut the window and close the curtains. A moment later, K-unit each took a corner of the cabin. Alex wondered briefly if they ever slept.

He kept to the woods and when he could no longer use the woods as cover, darted from building to building, thankful for the training SCORPIA had given him. He was practically invisible to the soldiers.

Alex reached the equipment shed. It didn't take him long to pick the lock and slip into the dusty interior quietly. The room was big and empty of all life, save for the boy himself. Alex strained his eyes and could see dust particles floating in the sunlight. His footsteps were muffled as he made his way to the four-wheeler directly in front of the door.

He climbed on and proceeded to hotwire the vehicle. When he got the engine running, he revved it and hit the gas, bursting out of the shed.

--

Kae could see a large boulder in the middle. Glancing carefully from side to side, she didn't see anyone, so she crept forward carefully, heart pounding and senses heightened with adrenaline. Her hands were twitching and she resisted the urge to just run forward to the rock.

When she finally, _finally_ reached it she crouched down close to the ground and peered around the rock. A soldier was sitting, rocking back and forth, muttering and sounding upset. Kae remembered seeing him from around the grounds, but she never found out his name.

Scooting back quietly, Kae silently made her way around to the other side to see if she could see Jessie. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief out through her nose when she saw the smaller girl. The redhead was crying silently, but she looked unharmed. At least, until Kae saw her wrists. They were rubbed raw and bloody from where Jessie had evidently tried to free her hands from the ropes. Kae winced in sympathy and glanced unconsciously down at her own wrists, where scars from the burns resided.

"I just wanted you to be happy," the man said. "Happy!" Jessie whimpered and shrank into the rock, curling up a fetal position. The safe position. The soldier stood. Kae had noticed that Jessie was still fully-clothed and deduced that she was still a virgin. Thank God.

"Why don't you understand that? You're supposed to be happy! _I'm supposed to make you happy!"_ Kae decided that now was a good time to intervene. She stood swiftly and stepped out from behind the rock.

"Let her go," she said, trying to make her voice confident. But it was shaky and definitely broke at the end of her sentence. What had she been _thinking?_ She couldn't take this man on by herself. Why hadn't she tried to get Alex or James to come with her?

"Go away," the man said, sounding a lot like a child. "I'm supposed to make her happy. If she's not happy, I'll try and make you happy."

"But you're making her unhappy," Kae said. If the man was like this, he was unpredictable. But maybe she could talk him down. "If you would untie her and let us go back to our friends, she would be happy again." The man changed his course and headed for Kae. Kae debated between backing up and staying where she was. She voted to stay.

Bad move.

The soldier grabbed her around the neck, squeezing and threw her against the rock. Kae banged her head and fell on top of Jessie. She let out a yelp of pain when Kae's weight landed on her and Kae hastily rolled off, her head reeling.

"She needs to go back," Kae said, her mouth still running, even though her gut was telling her to shut up. "She's hurt, see? She needs a doctor."

"_Shut up!"_ He screamed. "I'm supposed to make her _happy!"_

--

Alex took off across the grounds, deliberately passing in front of K-unit so that they would get someone to follow him. He then remembered a flaw with his little plan. He had disconnected some wires so no one could follow him. He swore. He wasn't going back now. It wouldn't take them long, but it might take them to long to figure out the problem.

He found the path that led to close to where the field was and began the climb upward. The wind blew past his face, making his ears and nose incredibly cold. The bike bounced underneath him painfully and he winced as he came down on his family jewels particularly hard.

His eyes were peeled, searching for the clearing, hoping and praying to whatever deity was listening that he wasn't too late.

--

Kae grimaced as the soldier picked her up again and threw her again. She landed about ten feet away and winced, pushing herself up. Jessie was kicking desperately at the man, shouting at him to stop it. Then the man walked out of her reach and Kae saw something in his eyes that made her start crying.

She was going to die.

--

Alex heard the screaming and did a three-sixty, bringing the vehicle to a stop. He jumped off, wincing slightly (his prized possessions still hurt), and took off running in the direction that the voices were coming from.

He burst into the clearing, taking in the scene, not slowing down. The soldier that had been advancing on Kae reached her and grabbed her around the throat, lifting her up off the ground. Her legs were kicking desperately and Alex could see her mouth open in a scream that couldn't be released.

Jessie was screaming and trying to get over to the soldier, to do something; anything. He noticed she was tied up and at both her ankles and wrists and that was all his brain had time to process before he tackled the soldier.

He heard Kae land on the ground before the soldier cushioned his fall. Alex sat up before the man could react and punched him squarely in the nose. The soldier bellowed and threw Alex off of him. The slight boy landed gracefully and prepared to fight.

The man was unstable and Alex could make that work to his advantage. The soldier lurched forward and Alex brought his foot around in a roundhouse kick. It caught the man across the jaw and he flew back.

--

It scared Kae to see Alex like that. His eyes were cold and emotionless. It was like he was a machine. He and the soldier were fighting fiercely, Alex doing better because he was focused and mentally right in the head.

She pushed herself up to her elbows, her arms trembling violently beneath her weight. She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat hurt. Kae gasped as her arms collapsed beneath her and she fell face down in the dirt.

Beneath the sound of flesh on flesh, Kae detected a noise. Motors! She tried to push herself up again and barely managed to roll out of the way before the soldier fell to the ground for the final time. She looked up and shrank back. Alex still had that cold, emotionless look in his eyes. They were the eyes of someone who could kill without batting a lash.

"A'…" She whimpered, unable to get more than that out of her bruised throat. It was that one sound that did it. Alex's entire demeanor changed and he knelt beside her.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Kae nodded and tried to speak again.

"Es'," she said. Alex understood and darted over to Jessie. Kae managed to push herself up and crawl over to them. Jessie was crying and Kae realized that there were still tears streaming down her cheeks as well. Alex was speaking soothingly to her, but Jessie kept shrinking back. Alex looked at Kae helplessly. Kae almost smiled. He had managed to save both their lives and he had absolutely no idea what was wrong with Jessie.

She didn't want any guy touching her. It was as simple as that. She'd come that close to being raped, so right…wait. Kae looked at her friend frantically.

"Ur'?" She tried. Jessie looked at her, uncomprehending before darting a fearful look at Alex, who immediately backed up. Kae shook her head. "Ur'…ur'-"

"Did he hurt you?" Alex translated. Jessie jumped before shaking her head. Kae breathed a sigh of relief and managed to drag her arms around Jessie and bury her face in her hair. The two of them began sobbing into each other, while poor Alex stood about seven feet away, having no idea what to do.

That was how the soldiers found them. Wolverine, however, was focusing on the soldier, his face stricken and pale. He spoke and his voice came out strangled.

"_Python?"_

That ladies and gentlemen, is the unsub revealed!!! For those of you who haven't guessed it, that is. For those of you who have, good job!

For anyone who review, chocolate chip cookies! If you don't like cookies, go look in the fridge for something *points to the left*

1: I have no idea what those are called. I think they're called ATVs or something, but if you need something to visualize it's what Alex was riding out on in the moving before jumping shooting the helicopter. If you haven't seen the movie, go look the scene up on youtube and you'll know what I'm talking about.


	20. Almost Christmas and Notes

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** Your offer is very much appreciated :D. I think you've already figured that out though, lol.

**Leonessa Ivanovna:** I like your penname…very unique. And yes, I do plan on killing him! I just don't know how to do that and not freak the other kids out.

**AmyAlways:** *Texas Chainsaw Massacre spoof* Actually, I lied. I couldn't pull one of those because I've never seen the movie. Anyhoo…I forgive you, no worries! And now…you read!!! *Evil Dictator Mode on power trip*

**Zenbon zakura:** I know…I don't like Cold Alex. I like Warm and Funny Alex

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Heehee I do love you all. I love everyone. Except a few select people…but you're not one of them…it's actually along the lines of Python and The Infiltrator. And I think I get it…

**Aphrodite 100:** Yay! Glad you liked the last chapter…hopefully this one catches your fancy just as much…heh, I said "fancy"…okay, yeah it's not that funny but I'm on a bit of a sugar rush right now! HAHAHA!

**PureAngelEnchantress:** I don't think I did a very good job describing how Jessie and Kae feel about him now. IDK…tell me what you think?

**Ovo Lamp:** Your wish will be granted…just not this chapter…but that doesn't make sense because of the big ol' time jump…but I can make it work cuz I'm amazing like that. I've even got it figured out now. It'll work and Snake can beat up Python…and Wolverine, too. Just because Wolverine needs to let off some steam.

I'm done and that made no sense.

Alex: No it didn't.

Me: Shut up. I don't own Alex Rider *pouts* *Alex jumps for joy in the background.* SHUT UP!

The three teens were hustled to the infirmary, while Python was locked up in isolation. Alex, Kae and Jessie had gone back on the same bike. There really should've only been two on the bike, but Kae didn't know how to drive one and Jessie refused to get near any of the men.

Snake had been waiting, angry that he hadn't been allowed to go after the kids as well, but he relaxed as soon as he saw the three of them. The teens moved in a huddle towards him and he and Fox began herding them to the infirmary when Snake froze, catching sight of the unconscious body.

"Python?" He asked in disbelief. "What happened to him?" Wolverine growled and walked away. He and Wolf were so alike sometimes it was scary. Their names were even similar. But Snake understood why Wolverine would be angry. Python was in Wolverine's unit and the man protected his team well.

"According to the boy, Python was attacking the kids," Panther supplied quietly. "That's all we've gotten out of them so far."

"Was he SCORPIA?" Snake asked, just as quietly, casting a look at the kids to make sure they couldn't hear. He didn't want to scare them anymore than they had to be. Somehow he doubted Cub was scared though.

"I don't know," Panther murmured, his lips barely moving. "They won't say anything. The girls won't say anything. Actually I don't think the brown-haired girl _can_ talk." This reminded Snake that they needed attention. He rejoined Fox in herding the teens to the infirmary.

He tried to set them on separate beds, but for some reason they felt the need to sit on the same bed, though he noticed Kae and Jessie were sitting tensely, a little wary of Alex for some reason. Fox was standing by the door, keeping guard and Snake looked them over.

He finished with Alex first, deducing that he was not seriously injured and would only have bruises. He allowed him to leave and Fox escorted him back to the teen's cabin. Snake hoped the spy could pry some answers from the quiet boy.

He kept trying to get close to Jessie, but the girl kept shrinking back and Kae kept slapping his hand away and getting between them. Snake frowned in frustration. Jessie's wounds on her wrists needed to be clean or else they would get infected.

"'Ape," Kae said angrily, or at least as angrily as her cracking hoarse, non-existent voice would allow. "'Ape!"

"I don't understand what you're saying," Snake said, growing frustrated.

"'Ape!" Kae snapped, growing just as frustrated as him at her lack of ability to communicate. At that moment the sergeant came in, looking extremely angry. Kae glowered at him. "'Ard." The sergeant cocked a brow.

"I take it she can't talk?" The sarcasm was evident.

"Du'," Kae snapped. Fox, who had returned with the sergeant, got her a glass water. "Ard."

"Does anyone understand what she's saying?" The head medic asked in frustration as Kae got between him and Jessie once again.

"Well, I think she's calling the sergeant a-"

"I am well aware of she's calling me, soldier. Thank you," the sergeant snapped. Kae smirked at him. "Can either of them talk?" Kae shook her head energetically, as if she was afraid someone would miss the motion. "All right, what about Cu-…what about the boy?"

"He's not very cooperative," Fox supplied. One-word answers for direct questions as to what happened." The sergeant growled. Kae smacked the doctor's hand away from Jessie.

--

Wolf went for a walk. D-unit was watching three of the kids. The two girls and Cub were back up at the infirmary and the sergeant was attempting to debrief them. Note: _attempting._ The last Wolf heard, it wasn't going very well. Meaning Jessie and Kae couldn't talk and Cub was being his usual ornery self. Stupid teenagers.

A movement caught his attention and Wolf tensed, ready for…what? He didn't know. This was Brecon Beacons. It was safe. _Of course, it was supposed to be safe for the kids too and look what happened._

He relaxed when he realized it was Wolverine and he moved to stand next to the man. There was silence as the two of them stared out over the lake. Wolf noticed Wolverine seemed to be convulsing and when he turned to the man to ask what was wrong, he saw tear tracks on the soldier's face.

"H-He was like my brother," Wolverine croaked out. "A good soldier…" Wolf wanted to say something; anything. But what could you say to someone who had just been betrayed? Wolverine turned to Wolf, no longer even trying to hide his tears.

"Why?"

Wolf wished he had an answer. He wished he knew. He wished none of this had ever happened. He didn't even want the kids there, even if they had grown on him. Not that he would ever admit that. Just last week he heard Jessie and Kae talking about the homecoming dance that they had missed; wondering what the theme was, who went with who and that sort of thing. They didn't belong here.

"I don't know," Wolf finally answered simply. Wolverine continued as though Wolf hadn't spoken.

"He lost his family you know. Two little girls and his wife. It was a car accident. Do you think he did…whatever he did because of that?" Again Wolverine didn't wait for an answer. He continued to reminisce. "He went to America for a holiday. To get away from the pain, he said." Wolf could see the pieces fitting together. The women all reported a British accent. Kae had made several notes about a stressor. Wolverine kept talking. "We were in Iraq. He was always watching our backs, keeping us out of trouble, putting himself in danger just to make sure we got out. Drove me crazy." Wolverine gave a rasping chuckle. Wolf simply stayed silent, knowing that if he interrupted the man now, he would close up and keep the emotions bottled up. Wolverine turned to Wolf, a helpless expression on his face.

"I just-I just don't understand why he would do whatever he did." He searched Wolf's face, looking for an answer.

Wolf wished he had one.

--

"She's saying 'rape'!" Alex finally said in exasperation. They had been sitting in the sergeant's office for nearly three hours. Fox and the sergeant were watching them. The three teens were sitting in ugly, yellow plastic chairs in front of the desk.

"Excuse me?" Fox turned to Alex, shock written all over his face. Kae shot Alex a dirty look, as if blaming him for not translating all this time. But she nodded empathetically to agree with him.

"What does that have anything to with this?"

"'Ow."

"Slow," Alex translated helpfully. "There's a file in her bunk. It's about a serial rapist." The sergeant nearly spit tea out all over his desk. But he kept his face impassive, though Kae was shooting him dirty looks.

"'Old 'oo 'o," she said, annoyed, if not somewhat smugly.

"I told you so." The sergeant glared at him. Alex shrugged.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Ben rarely spoke out of turn in front of the sergeant, but right now he was more interested in getting answers. Alex glared stonily at the floor. Kae was looking between Alex and Ben, obviously confused as to why Alex was acting like that. Jessie was reacting much the same way Kae was.

"Ex?" She asked him, prodding him gently, trying to get him respond. Fox noticed she was incredibly cautious, as if she was scared he might turn on her and hurt her. Alex looked at her, ready to snap, but stopped. Her green eyes were scrunched up in confusion and she was biting her lip. Alex sighed and began talking.

--

It took a week for Jessie's throat to heal, something that pleased Luke greatly. It took nearly two weeks for her to start letting the guys, besides Luke, to start helping her over barriers. It took nearly three weeks for Kae's throat to heal.

It was a blessed three weeks.

As soon as her throat healed though…

"Oh my goodness, James! What was that for?" Kae screamed at her boyfriend jumping up out of the mud. James stared at her in exasperation.

"What was what for?"

"O, I don't know! Tripping me?"

"I didn't trip you!"

"Oh, so your foot _magically_ appeared in front of my feet?" Their voices were rising. In the background the other four sweat-dropped.

"They are waaay to much a like to be dating," Alex said.

"Agreed," Tom said. "I don't think I've heard a couple argue that much…except maybe my parents." There was silence as Kae and James argued. Finally Kae stomped away, throwing her hands up in exasperation. James stared after her before coming over to the group.

"What did I do…?"

"She didn't sleep well last night," Jessie answered.

"Ah."

"You should go apologize," Jessie continued. James spluttered.

"What? Why me?" Jessie stared at him calmly.

"Because you're the guy."

"What? What does that have to do anything!"

--

(Kae and Alex seem to end up alone a lot so they can have these private conversations…)

--

"Alex…" Alex looked up from the book he was reading for the school book report. Kae was watching him warily from the other side of the room on her cot.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Um…where did you learn to fight like that? In the clearing, I mean," she said. Alex shrugged.

"My uncle signed me up for karate lessons when I was small."

"Oh…" Kae's answer was extremely quiet. "Alex…when you were fighting…you were…" She paused, attempting to come up with an accurate description. "Cold."

"Well, it was November," Alex pointed out dryly. Kae scowled at him.

"That's not what I meant," she said indignantly, her cheeks puffing out and her lower lip sticking out in a pout. Scary genes did not run in Kae's family, Alex decided. "I mean, your expression and your demeanor…they were cold… and you looked like you could kill and…and…and it scared me," she finally finished in a quiet voice. She looked up at him, confusion, frustration and a bit of sadness in her eyes. "Why?"

Alex didn't know how to answer.

--

It was cold. Didn't know how much longer the cold could be taken.

It was cold.

--

Kae had obviously forgiven James, after about a week of sleepless nights and since he was her boyfriend, he took the brunt of her wrath. Unless Eagle was around. Then it was divided evenly.

It was nearing Christmas, there were only three weeks left and Kae had taken it upon herself to…liven up the place. Snow coated the ground and someone deemed themselves the Queen of Snowmen. Wolf didn't think he'd ever seen so many snowmen in one place. They surround the mess hall and the cabins. Someone had picked the lock to the main building and the sergeant had entered his office the next morning to find a melting and scarily accurate rendition of himself sitting in the chair.

Kae and Alex were given kitchen duty for the next two weeks. Kae, because it was obvious it was her who had made the sculpture and Alex because he was the only one who knew how to pick locks. Plus security caught it all on tape.

She had also brought in pine branches and glued them to the wall in the form of a Christmas tree. No one could figure out where she got the glue from and she certainly wasn't telling. Snake was the one who came to the logical conclusion that she had probably grabbed it when she and Alex broke into the office building.

The sergeant had let them go to town to go Christmas shopping. As soon as gifts were wrapped, Kae had gathered up the extra wrapping paper. When the soldiers went into the mess hall the next morning, wrapping paper had been taped to the wall.

Kae had cut the paper out into various scenes. On one was was the Nativity scene. Another held Rudolph and Frosty, though Kae claimed to despise the snowman. On yet another wall, she had created another Christmas tree out of wrapping paper.

From the beams on the ceiling hung the leftover ribbon. Kae had muttered something about needing fairy lights, but then the sergeant gave her kitchen duty till the end of January.

And yet he let her keep the decorations up.

One day she and Alex were in the kitchen. Kae was singing "Jingle Bell Rock" loudly and out of tune, with Alex joining in every now and then, but far too embarrassed to actually join in. Not that he would admit that.

"WHAT A BRIGHT TIME, IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO ROCK THE NIGHT AWAY! JINGLE BELL TIME IS A SWELL TIME, TO GO RIDING IN ONE-HORSE sleigh…" Kae stopped her pan banging as a piece of paper fell out of the pan she was currently banging on. The cook had left a long time ago, taking something strong with him.

Alex noticed the volume change (who wouldn't?) and wandered over to his friend. She was holding the piece of paper loosely in her hands, staring at it, her face white.

"Kae?" He asked, coming up behind her to peer over her shoulder. "What's wrong?" Her hand was trembling slightly. "Kae." He craned his neck to look down at the piece of paper. He felt his stomach knot.

_He's closer than you think._

Woot woot! It's another chapter up!


	21. Sleepless Night and Betrayal

**Ovolamp:** Yay!!! Wolverine definitely got his revenge…though, I couldn't quite work Snake into the chapter…Sorry!!!! DDDDDD: Forgive me, please?

**AmyAlways:** No it is not Python, thank goodness, cause believe it or not, he was kinda getting on my nerves.

**PureAngelEnchantress:** I'm kinda hoping this chapter will give you a little insight to Alex, though you're going to have to look a little hard to find it :P

**Aphordite100:** I'm hoping the chapter after this gets better because it's going to focus on Christmas a bit more (I hope)

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** That's all right!! Teachers are evil! And thanks anyway, lol. This chapter…yeah…it's more about him.

**Leonessa Ivanovna:** They kind of disappear in this chapter too, but they'll be back next chapter! I promise!

**Chloe Griffin: **Glad that made you laugh. I had the beginning of this chapter written out in a totally different way, but decided to go with this.

**ScOrPiA pOiSoN: **Yay!!!! You're back!!! I missed you!!

**Loser94:** I am really looking forward to your story!

**AllWhoWanderAreNotLost:** People keep telling me that and I promise I'm trying to work him into it more, because they're right…I did basically write him out of it. And I'm trying to keep it going, though some chappies are fillers. If you could give me pointers as to how to make them more well-defined that would be great!!! And I don't hate you for rambling…it was very helpful and I appreciate it a lot!

**Topaz-tentei:** That makes me happy that this brightens your day!

_He's closer than you think._

Kae turned over in her cot. After they had found the note, Alex had made her go sit down because she looked like she'd been ready to faint. When she managed to compose herself, he sat down next to her they talked it over and finally elected to keep it between themselves unless another note was delivered. Kae hadn't been happy not being able to tell any of the other ones, but Alex logically pointed out that it could just be a hoax and they didn't want to worry the other four unnecessarily.

_He's closer than you think._

_What's that supposed to mean?_ Kae turned over the other way, unable to fall asleep. The note had bothered her all evening and she had only gotten an hour of sleep before being jerked awake by the door clicking shut silently. She had stood swiftly and peered past the partition. No one was there and Kae had been unable to fall back asleep.

_Who sent the note? What's it mean? What's going to happen?_ Questions tumbled around in Kae's head. She knew the note was pretty self-explanatory. Somebody was closer than she thought, that much was obvious. But what did they mean? Was it a spy? Was it a threat? Or was somebody warning them something was going to happen?

"Kae?" Jessie mumbled sleepily. Kae rolled over so she could see Jessie, growling silently at the annoying bedspring that had been poking her every night since they'd gotten there.

"Yeah?" She whispered.

"You okay?" Kae nodded before remembering that Jessie wouldn't be able to see her nod.

"Yeah," she answered. "The stupid bedspring is poking me, though. Go back to sleep."

"Oh…okay…night," Jessie yawned.

"Night," Kae murmured, settling her head on her pillow. A moment later, Jessie's breathing evened out and Kae returned to her tossing and turning. She was going to be so dead tomorrow. She could just see herself now. Passing out in the middle of the obstacle course-

_Click._

Kae's breathing hitched and she thanked God as she rolled out of the cot silently that Jessie was sleeping. She moved quietly to the partition and pulled it back. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was certain she was going to start hyperventilating soon. Her breath was coming in short, silent gasps. Someone had come to finish them off. Someone was going to hurt them. Why had K-unit been taken off guard duty? They were going to be killed and-

"Alex?" Her breathing calmed and her heart began to resume its regular pace. "What are you doing up?" Alex turned to her. It was too dark for Kae to really see anything. The only way she could tell it was Alex was because the shadow was his height.

"I went to the loo," he whispered. "Why are you up?" Kae shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered. "I was thinking about…about the note." There was silence as Alex regarded her. Kae could only imagine what his serious brown eyes were saying about him…oh, that's right. They wouldn't say anything except that he was a haunted boy. Kae had seen that look only once and that was when she had encountered and WWII veteran at the veteran's day program that her school had given. Why would a fourteen-year-old boy have that look? Or was he fifteen? Kae couldn't remember if she'd actually ever found out his true age.

"Don't think about it," Alex said…gently? Kae was startled. She'd never heard him use that tone of voice before. "It doesn't mean anything."

"But, Alex…" There was a small whine in the back of Kae's throat. Alex surprised her by placing his hand over her mouth. Kae huffed from behind the hand and resisted the urge to lick. She remembered when she was younger and Morgan or someone would cover her mouth with their, she would lick and their hand always tasted nasty. She didn't think Alex would be any different. She did cross her arms and continue to huff until Alex removed his hand.

"Kae, it's three in the morning. We're getting up in two hours. Don't think about it." Kae huffed again, but agreed.

"Fine," she said, pouting even though he couldn't see it. "I won't."

Kae still couldn't sleep.

--

"Why is he still here?" K-unit and Wolverine were standing in the sergeant's office before breakfast. It was already a month after Pyth…Paul.._.Walker_ had been arrested and put in isolation. And he was still there.

It made Wolf's skin crawl when he thought of the man. He had gone over to American for holiday before returning to Brecon Beacons for drill and that's where the trouble had started. And he had gone from attacking adults to _children._ It almost made Wolf ashamed of being in the SAS. Almost. Right now he was more ashamed of having someone like that in the SAS.

"There are…legal complications." The tone of the sergeant's voice told them just what he thought of the legal complications.

"What kind of _legal complications_, sir?" Wolverine asked stiffly.

"International legal complications," the sergeant elaborated vaguely. "The Americans want to take him back to American soil because of the crimes he committed there, but obviously he's an English citizen."

"Don't they protocol for this sort of thing, sir?" Fox asked.

"Yeah, who said governments actually follow protocol? He's just now being moved to an actual prison. You're escorting him to the vehicle. Inside is another unit. After he's off the grounds he's no longer our responsibility."

Wolverine didn't understand why he had been selected to go and escort the man to the truck. He felt a deep pang in his chest every time he thought about the man he had trusted, his brother-in-arms. He thought he hated the sergeant right then. But he nodded his head and said nothing.

There was silence as the five men made their way over to isolation. The sergeant had given Wolverine the keys and he turned to K-unit. He needed to do this.

"I'll bring him out," he said. Wolf seemed to debate with something before nodding. Snake opened his mouth to protest, but Wolverine had already disappeared.

Wolverine stood outside the cell, taking a few moments to gather himself. He wasn't sure how he would handle facing the man and now he regretted going in by himself. He nodded to the guard, who respectfully stepped away and then unlocked the cell door, letting himself in.

Walker was sitting in the corner. He didn't turn when the door open. Wolverine slammed the door shut behind him and saw with a grim satisfaction and hurt that Walker jumped to his feet and snapped to attention. It hurt. The man had been a good soldier. _He betrayed everything the SAS stood for._

Wolverine shook himself from his thoughts and there was silence as the two men stared at each other. Finally, Wolverine spoke.

"Why?" Python began muttering, hunching over. Wolverine watched him. This was the first time he had ever seen his teammate like this.

"Needed…needed…to be…to be _happy._" He was playing with his hands and muttering and casting nervous looks around. Wolverine stared, his mouth hanging open a bit. He managed to shut it with a snap.

"You're being charged for assault in England and rape in the U.S. Your career is done." Walker looked up at him, a cornered look in his eyes.

"No! Not rape…not rape…they were happy!" Walker stood, desperation in his eyes. Wolverine backed up. He saw now what he didn't before. Grief for his family had pushed him over the edge. And this is what happened. He had gone insane.

When Wolverine stepped back, he realized he made a mistake. Walker's eyes went from desperate to angry and with a bellow, he pulled his fist back and attempted to deliver bone-shattering punch to his former unit leader's jaw. Wolverine grabbed the flying fist and twisted the man around before shoving him against the wall.

The breath left Walker before he regained and turned back on Wolverine. The SAS man hadn't expected him to recover that quickly, though he probably should have. It was, after all, just a shove against the wall. He felt the other man's fist land on his cheek and he stumbled back.

Walker was on his in a minute, yelling incoherently and attempting to land punches everywhere. Wolverine managed to shove him off long enough to deliver a blow that stunned the other man long enough for Wolverine to clap the cuffs on him

"Walker, you've just humiliated yourself and the SAS. You betrayed your team and you betrayed everything the SAS stood for." Wolverine felt hot tears well up in his eyes. He'd never imagined he would have to say that to anyone in the SAS, let alone his own (_former,_ he reminded himself.) teammate.

Tears leaked out of Walker's eyes as Wolverine led him outside and he and K-unit escorted him to the truck waiting.

--

Kae and the rest of the group watched the man get led away. They had been on their way to breakfast when they saw the group and they had stopped. No one had noticed Alex move a little closer to Jessie when they saw him.

"They're just now taking him away?" Kae asked in disbelief. Thunder rumbled in the distance, almost drowning out Alex's next words.

"Nobody ever gave the government credit for being efficient," he murmured. Jessie looked up at the boy and then the sky.

"Amen," she answered. The group continued in silence to the mess hall, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Ta-daaa!!!!! It took me forever to rewrite this chapter and I'm still not liking how it turned out, but I knew that if I didn't post it soon I would be ages until I could post it :P. Anyway, for those of you who wanted Python to receive a bashing, he kind of got a physical, emotional and mental all in one.

Okay, I'm taking a poll (no, don't go to my profile because I don't know how to set up the poll button there) on how the infiltrator (And Alex!) should be revealed.

A: Should he get desperate, break into the kids' cabin, give the speech on how he's extracting revenge for SCORPIA and then Alex take him down

B: Kidnap one of the kids, thus forcing Alex to go after him

C: Take all the kids hostage in some random building (classroom, mess hall, etc.) and while the soldiers try and work something out have Alex take him down

D: Or other. And by other you need to supply me with ideas, because those are the only ones I have.


	22. Two Weeks and 'Clicks'

Okay, sorry but I'm not going to write to all of you individually this time. I'm too lazy, plus I don't know how I would…it'd be like a big repeat of "thanks for your opinion" and that's just really boring. So this to all of you, (please don't make fun) Thanks for your opinion, I have made my decision and now you just have to read!

****

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie! Guess what?" Kae burst into the cabin and made a running leap for her cot. She didn't spring back up like she had expected, and instead landed painfully on her ankles before falling on the floor. She winced. That was her fault. After spending three and a half months sleeping on it, you'd have thought that she would've figured out it wasn't very springy.

Recovering quickly, Kae jumped back up onto the cot, and ignoring its lack of springiness, proceeded to jump up and down on the bed. Jessie watched her for a moment, wondering if the lack of edible food and a decent shower had finally gone to her head.

"Guess what!" Kae demanded impatiently like a hyper-active three-year-old. Granted, she was like that much of the time. Jessie decided the safest course of action would be to humor her American friend.

"What?" She asked. Kae's face lit up at finally being asked the question.

"The sergeant gave us two weeks off for Christmas! Isn't that great? I mean, we have a survival hike before, but after that we have two weeks off!" Kae paused in her rave and scowled at the swiftly falling snow outside the cabin. The thin walls did little to protect from the cold, but the kids had discovered that by laying their unneeded clothes out on the floor and hanging them over the windows, the little building was better insulated and just a little warmer.

"Really?" Jessie sat up from her position under the blanket and stared at Kae hard, trying to decide if she was pulling a prank. Deciding that she was way too excited for a prank, Jessie started to get a little excited too.

"Yeah, yeah, plus he might even consider letting us sleep in the mess hall Christmas Eve!" Kae had stopped bouncing and had dove under her thin blanket, wriggling with excitement. Suddenly, she froze, sitting up on her knees, her mouth in an "O". The blanket fell from around her shoulders.

"What?" Jessie asked, a little apprehensive. Kae turned wide eyes to her.

"Jessie," she said. "What are we gonna do for _two weeks?"_ Jessie stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing. Kae pouted, evidently considering the question to be one of life or death. The moment was interrupted, however, by the cabin door opening and the four boys tumbling in. Kae squealed and proceeded to hug the life out of James, who hugged her back, looking startled but pleased.

"Guess what, guess what, guess what?" Jessie sighed.

Here we go again.

--

Despite the fact that Kae had no idea what to do for two weeks, her excitement was still uncontainable. Pranks sprang up right and left. They weren't anything huge, mainly the salt and the sugar being switched and okay, some of them were a little more serious, like gluing all the pens and pencils to the desks in the main building, which had led to the salt and sugar prank since Kae had been given kitchen duty _again._ They did, however, die down when the sergeant threatened to take away the two weeks of break. Kae secretly thought he wouldn't really do it, but she didn't want to take the chance.

It had been a fairly quiet week until Friday, when Kae had been digging through a less-used cabinet for something to use to try and give the slop a little more flavor.

An ear-splitting scream had split the relative quiet that was rare in Brecon Beacons and at once, soldiers poured out of their huts, ready for action. The scream had come from the kitchen, and Fox being in there at the time (and because it _was_ his duty), felt obligated to go investigate. Besides, what if something had really been happening?

He was greeted with the sight of a screaming Kae who was bashing every clear surface with a frying pan. Fox gaped at her, not entirely sure if she had gone insane or not. Until he glimpsed something large, hairy and with eight legs dart to a new hiding place, followed closing by the frying pan. Oh. Fox couldn't stop the laugh that bellowed up from his stomach.

Kae froze, hearing him and spun around to face him. Her hair was disheveled and her face slightly red. She glared at him and opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, the spider chose to strike back and attached itself to her leg.

There was another bloodcurdling screech from the girl and she spun around. Fox couldn't help it. He pulled out his phone and began recording the entire thing.

"Get it off, get it off, get it off!" She howled, shaking her leg and looking like she was trying to do the Hokey-Pokey. "Fox, darn it, get the little monster off!" It was at that moment the rest of K-unit burst in. Kae swore she saw almost the entire camp behind them, plus her friends. At that moment, though, she was too busy to worry about her dignity. She raised the frying pan, determined that she was going to beat the thing off herself. The spider seemed perfectly content on her, so Kae was fairly confident that she would be able to squish the little creature.

Kae didn't know spiders could smirk. Apparently they could though, because as she brought the frying pan down toward her leg, the little insect _smirked_ and jumped just before the pan made contact. Kae yelped and dropped the pan on her toe, causing another pained yelp and resulted in her jumping around, clutching her foot.

"_What_ is going on?" Anyone who had been laughing quickly shut up. Fox hastily stuck his phone in his pocket and Kae stood alone in the middle of a destroyed kitchen, her foot throbbing and a large bruise forming on her leg. The sergeant walked in and glared at her. There was silence for a long moment before Kae spoke. Her voice was quiet, partly because she knew she was in big trouble and partly because she was in the most embarrassing situation she had ever been in.

"There was a spider, sir," she said quietly, staring determinedly at her feet. There was a moment of stunned disbelief.

"A _spider?_ What are you? A girl?

"Well, actually…" Kae muttered under her breath. The sergeant growled at her.

"Clean this up," he snapped at her before turning to the rest of the camp. "Everybody out, now." The soldiers slowly filed out, but Kae could've sworn that she heard the sergeant mutter to Fox, "I want to see that video later."

--

There hadn't been another note, something that relieved Kae as she shouldered her pack the next day and joined the group waiting at the helicopter. K-unit was giving them tips, though Kae was fairly certain that was against the rules. Not that she was complaining…

Finally, though, it time for them to take off. The hike would take them all day and they weren't supposed to arrive back until seven that evening. It was five-thirty in the morning now. Kae climbed into the helicopter and there was silence as the pilot lifted off and they flew to their drop zone.

"Guys…" Tom said after a moment. His voice was almost lost in the whirring of the helicopter blades, but everyone heard him and turned to face him. He was pale and shaking a little. "I'm scared of heights." Kae subconsciously began fingering the parachute pack on her back.

"We'll jump together, Tom," Alex said. Tom shot a grateful look at Alex. Of course, Kae couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"_Cause if you jump I will jump too. We will fall together from the building's ledge, never looking back at what we've done, we'll say it was all, cause I would die for you at Skyway Avenue!"_ Everyone was relieved when James clapped a hand over her mouth. Kae definitely wouldn't be singing on _Britain's Got Talent_ anytime soon.

--

"That was awesome!" Kae yelled, her adrenaline rush still going strong from the jump. Though, they were starting to suspect she was just high from the whole experience of jumping out of a helicopter and then rolling down a steep hill all in one. Especially since her "adrenaline rush" had been going strong for the last ten minutes.

"No more sugar for Kae," Luke muttered. Kae stopped with a huff and put her hands on her hips.

"It's an _adrenaline rush_, Luke," she informed him. Luke rolled his eyes.

"No it's not," he said. "It's a sugar rush from whatever the kitchen was serving this morning."

"Nuh-uh," Kae said, sticking her tongue out at him. "There is no sugar in that food."

"Yes there is."

"No, there's not!"

"Yes, Kae, there is."

"How do you know?"

"Because you never switched the salt and the sugar back." Silence.

"Oh…"

There followed about two or three hours of silence as everyone moved on and Kae tried to figure out a more witty comeback. She came up empty. The sun crept up over the horizon, causing a glare to bounce off the snow and into their eyes.

"What I wouldn't give for a pair of sunglasses," Jessie muttered, shielding her eyes from the harsh light.

"I second that," Kae piped up, her breath rising clouds in front of her face. "Why does it have to be so bright?"

"Well, it couldn't be because of the snow could it?" James asked sarcastically before he got side-tracked. "Alex? Where you going, mate?"

"East."

"Why?" James asked.

"Because we're going the wrong way," Alex said. The five of them looked at each other before shrugging and following.

"How do you know that?" Jessie asked him, catching up with him. Her cheeks were already rosy and her brown eyes were shining from the exercise.

"I have a good sense of direction," was his vague answer and he extended his hand to help her over a log, both of them holding on a little longer than necessary. They probably would've continued if Luke had barged between them, scowling.

They continued walking for another two hours before a loud click shattered the still silence.

****

Heh, how do you like my new divider? The lines I put in weren't working so I finally got tired of it!


	23. Blizzards and Caves

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** I feel your pain. That is exactly what my friends and family would do! And yes, that is We The Kings…probably should've mentioned that last chapter. Oops.

**AmyAlways:** Spiders should die…if only because I said so.

**Topaz-tantei:** Kae agrees with you whole-heartedly. And yes, he is very lucky. I was experiencing extreme waves of jealousy as I wrote that chapter lol…stupid MI6 agents.

**Leonessa Ivanovna:** Okay, I am officially curious. Where are you from cause that is seriously the coolest looking alphabet I have EVER seen! Luke does have to put up with a lot doesn't he? His cousin is such a trouble-maker, though!

****

They froze, the sound of the 'click' enough to freeze their blood. They were barring the fact it was probably sub-temperatures at the moment and that the SAS sergeant was a sadist. There was silence for what seemed like forever to Kae and then the holder of the gun spoke.

"You're going to turn north. You will not turn around. You will not speak. You will not look to either side. You will not make eye contact with each other. You will not communicate in any way." Kae was trembling, but she was automatically analyzing. The speaker was young and he sounded shaky and frightened. He was new at whatever he was doing and probably under pressure. She frowned. She was certain that she had heard the voice somewhere before, but she couldn't place it.

Alex turned and started walking. The other five followed, determinedly not looking at each other. The snow crunched under their feet and Kae wished she had followed Tom's example because her feet were starting to get cold. Before they had left, Kae had pulled on every available pair of socks that she had brought. Tom had done that and then proceeded to wrap his foot in his currently unused underwear before somehow managing to shove it into his boot. She could've sworn she heard him complaining quietly that his feet hurt though.

They walked for hours. The sun was moving across the sky and Kae had a stitch in her side. More than once she stumbled but Tom or James was always there to catch her. The person with the gun rarely spoke except to tell them to go a certain direction. Kae was glad Alex was with them because she was fairly certain he was the only one who knew their directions.

Everyone was hungry by the time they reached their destination, which was a little cave in the side of the cliff they were on.

"Get in," the man said. Hesitantly, they descended one by one into the cave. "Sit down. Rider, get out here." Alex stood while the others crouched. The cave was too small for them to sit fully so they were sitting like they were in a chair with their knees pressing each other.

"Alex, how does he know your name?" Jessie whispered. Alex shook his head. "Alex!" Her brown eyes were flashing and Kae could almost see the infamous red-headed temper rear its head.

"I'll explain later," he whispered. By now, everything having gone smoothly, the kidnapper had gained some confidence.

"You mean your friends don't know why they're here?" The man said, his tone mocking. "Little Alex, I'm surprised at you."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked. Kae feel him shaking where their knees were pressed together.

"I'll tell you," the man said with relish.

"Shut up," Alex growled, starting towards the man threateningly, but the man aimed the gun at Tom. Alex froze. Kae let out a small gasp and grabbed Tom's hand.

"Guys," Tom whispered. "Don't hate Alex."

"What? Why would we-"

"Your friend, Alex Rider, is a spy for MI6," the man interrupted. There was dead silence. Jessie drew in a shaky breath. Tom was watching them for their reactions. James's hands were clenched into fists and Luke was staring at Alex. Kae was gaping at him in shock. Alex just glared daggers at the man. James found his voice first.

"Shut up," he said, his voice shaking in anger. Kae looked at him nervously. She and Tom were between him and the entrance, but Kae didn't put it past him to try anything.

"James…"Alex said quietly. "It's true." James snapped his glare to Alex.

"It doesn't matter if it's true or not," he ground out. "He didn't have a right to tell us." The man laughed sardonically.

"Alex, come up out of there now," he said. "And put a rock over the entrance. We don't want them getting out anytime soon."

_Stupid_, Kae thought. If Alex could move the rock by himself, then what made the man think that they couldn't move the rock? As she looked around the cavern, she saw why. It was too small and there was no room to maneuver. This would be difficult.

Alex grabbed a huge rock and began dragging it over the entrance. Dust and pebbles scraped and fell down on their heads. He was watching them with apologetic and pain-filled eyes. Just before the last of the light was blocked out, Jessie simply said, "Hurry back, Alex."

--

Alex had tried to leave the rock as loose as possible, but as soon as he stepped away, the man had told him to kick it several times to lodge it firmly in place. Then the man had told Alex to pack snow around the edges and to pour the water over the snow, freezing it and creating a seal made of ice. Alex felt sick. He had just buried his friends alive.

It had been a while since Alex had used that word in the plural form. But right now, he wasn't entirely sure he would be able to use that word in the plural form again. If they got out of it alive.

Alex wasn't particularly worried about getting away from the man. That part would be easy. So would finding the cave again…provided it didn't snow, which was now looking like a very real probability. Dark clouds had gathered and looked ready to unleash their fury on the training camp.

He wished he had a watch. Anything to tell how much time had passed. It was cold and since it was getting darker, it was getting colder. And he was pretty certain that he was warmer than everyone else stuck inside the cave.

Alex despised MI6 with a passion. It was their fault he didn't have a normal life. If they'd just left him alone, he wouldn't have gotten involved with SCORPIA and he certainly wouldn't be here. He was steadfastly ignoring that fact that it had been him that had gone to SCORPIA in the first place.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked, breaking the silence. The wind was picking up. That wasn't a good sign. He glanced involuntarily up at the sky and cursed as snowflakes began drifting downwards lazily. Not good.

"There's a chopper about seven miles away," the man said. "The new head of SCORPIA wants to have a 'word' with you." Ah. Stupid psychopaths. So he had seven miles to figure what type of gun the man had, how to get in contact with the soldiers and get back to the cave before everyone froze to death.

Perfect.

--

They had tried pushing on the rock. It wouldn't budge. The guys were taking turns pushing on it. Right now, Tom was leaning against it with all his might. Everyone else was silent. It was cramped and getting steadily colder. Kae and Jessie were taking turns pinching each other to make sure they stayed awake.

Jessie sighed as she shifted, taking care not to jostle everyone else. They were just as uncomfortable as she was. She managed to shift into a more comfortable position and made to put her hand on a lower part of the wall to brace herself as she settled back down again…only to find there was no wall.

She couldn't help it. She gasped and her hand immediately withdrew, fearing that it would come in contact with something unsavory. Then she managed to get her gut back and put her hand back in carefully, feeling for anything. She was met with what appeared to be a tunnel.

"Guys?" She said, hardly daring to hope. "I think I found something." If she could see, she was certain everyone's heads snapped around. "It's a tunnel or something. I'm going down it."

"Jessie, are you crazy?" Jessie felt someone kneel beside her, jostling everyone roughly. Feeling the long hair tickle her shoulder, Jessie guessed it was Kae.

"It's small," Kae reported. "Jessie is the smallest out of all of us. She would have the least trouble getting down it." It didn't matter that Luke was protesting furiously. Jessie had already begun wriggling down it, using her hands to guide her.

"Jessie? Anything?" Tom called. Jessie frowned as the tunnel widened. She raised herself up cautiously and found that she could sit up. She patted the walls and when she found the entrance to the tunnel, she began a slow circuit around the cavern, still on her knees. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was slightly hitched. Her nerves were tingling and her senses, the ones that she could use, were on hyper-alert. Her entire body was tense.

Therefore, it wasn't really any surprise when she stumbled into what felt like a body and screamed.

--

Elle was worried sick. She had been staying with Jack for almost four months now and Kae had made it point to call her every week. In fact, she had just called her yesterday, but for some reason, Elle had a really bad feeling that she couldn't shake.

"Hey," Jack said, coming into the living room. "Are you all right?" Elle smiled fondly at the red-headed woman. The two of them had grown close over the last four months and though Jack was obviously hiding something about her charge, Elle felt that she was very trustworthy.

"I'm worried about Kae," Elle confessed. Jack sighed.

"Me too," she said. "I just have this feeling that something really bad is going to happen."

"Or is happening," Elle murmured quietly. She looked at the clock. It was seven thirty in the evening. "What sounds good for dinner?"

"Take-out," Jack said immediately. Elle chuckled and headed for the phone. She knew neither of them would be eating tonight. The worry clawing at their stomachs wouldn't let them.

--

"It's seven-thirty," Ben said to Wolf. "They should be back by now." Wolf snorted.

"They're a bunch of teenagers. They probably got lost." He dismissed Ben's worry with a wave of his hand. Ben frowned at his former teammate.

"Wolf, I would believe that if Alex hadn't been with them. He knows this place better than any of them and the kid has a sense of direction like you wouldn't believe."

"Fox…" Wolf sighed and studied his teammate carefully. "Fine. If they're not back by eight, we'll send a search party."

"Seven forty-five," Ben said automatically. It was rare that Ben ever crossed his leader (even though he was no longer part of the unit, he still thought of Wolf that way), but when he did, it was for a reason.

"Fox…"

"Wolf, it's a blizzard out there. If they are lost, they'll probably freeze to death, if they haven't already," Ben argued. Wolf nodded.

"You're right," he conceded. Ben blinked. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I am?" The mask he usually kept in place slipped and he scowled, irritated, as Wolf snorted.

"Of course you are, you bloody wanker," he said. "_I_ don't want to be responsible if they die." He was quiet. "They're a tough group of kids, though, I'll give them that." Ben grinned. That was the closest Wolf would ever come to complimenting them to their face.

--

It was a blizzard. Alex had long ago dispatched the operative and had left him tied to a tree somewhere, using the man's shoelaces as binding. Alex certainly wasn't going to use his _own_ laces. He needed them. Alex shivered. The wind was going all directions and he had lost any sense of direction. He kept walking, praying and hoping he was going in the right direction.

If not, he would just have to keep walking so he wouldn't freeze to death. He pulled his sleeves over his hands and tucked them under his armpits, trying to keep the digits warm. He was cursing under his breath.

If he froze to death, he was going to kill Alan Blunt.

****

Ta-daa!!!!!!!!! Chapter 23 is up and running and I'm in a good mood…I mean, who wouldn't be??? Okay, don't answer that because it could very well ruin my bubble of happiness. Okay, I lied. You can tell me if you're not happy. I'm a very good listener.

And I'm sorry there's no Alex kicking butt scene…but the implications are there! *hopeful look before diving under the bed* I mean, he left the guy tied to a tree and he used _shoelaces!_ Obviously the dude was out enough for Alex to unlace his shoes.


	24. Matches and Adoptions

**Lake25:** Why, thank you! I'm flattered! And now you get to find out what it is.

**Leonessa Ivanovna:** I'm glad…I love making people's days :D. I agree…(and no offense to any English people) they're hilarious!

**Aphordite100: **Why thank you very much *bows* Er…*curtseys?*

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** We do. They enjoy our pain. And he should've but as it is, our favoritest young spy doesn't think of everything…if only because he's spy and spies can get so dang cocky sometimes! That and Alex just isn't that cruel. You're scary…remind NOT to get on your bad side…

Alex: You made me kill someone.

Me: Did not.

Alex: Yes, you did. You made me leave him tied to a tree…in a BLIZZARD!

Me: Noooooo...He's not dead unless I decide he's dead. Now, if you really want him to live, you could do the disclaimer for me…

Alex: Kill him.

Me: *pouts* Nobody loves me. As much as it hurts to say this, I do NOT own Alex Rider or anything Anthony Horowitz came up with.

James: You dumped is a cave.

Me: Necessary to the plot line…sorry. *runs for dear life*

****

After Jessie had gone through the tunnel, they had started talking a bit. James and Kae had started bickering and Luke and Tom were staring down the tunnel, trying to peer past Kae into the darkness, every now and then sending what the couple presumed was annoyed glances at them.

"Are you calling me fat?" James said. It was light-hearted bickering with just a bit of seriousness. Because of the situation though.

"Well, if you are fat and we're starving, guess who the first to go will be?" Kae told him. James snorted.

"Not me. You don't eat the fat. You eat the muscle." Before Kae could retort, there was a scream. Everyone froze and then Kae was lunging for the entrance and everyone was shouting.

"Jessie!" Luke yelled. Kae scrabbled furiously down the tunnel. She was barely aware when the tunnel opened up. She simply kept clawing her way forward until something hit her on the head.

"Ow!" She yelled.

"Kae?" It was Jessie's voice. Kae felt to the left, where it sounded like Jessie's voice was coming from. Her hand smacked something and she heard Jessie's startled yelp.

"Are you okay? What happened? Why did you scream?" Kae demanded. She could hear the guys struggling through the tunnel. Jessie shuddered.

"I ran into a body…or…or something." Kae gulped. Bodies were rarely good.

"Do you have your pack?" She asked. Jessie took a shuddering breath.

"Yeah," she said. "Why? Where's yours?" Kae could hear her struggling to take her pack off. Fighting the bile rising in her throat, Kae began feeling around until she felt the body Jessie had mentioned. She patted the person.

"Well, after you went through, I took it off. There was more room and I was sitting on it," Kae said. "Try and find some matches or a flashlight or something." She heard Jessie set the pack on the ground.

"What's going on? Why did you scream? Are you okay?" Luke's voice was frantic and Kae heard him squeeze Jessie into a bear hug.

"Luke…ouch…that hurts! I'm fine. I just ran into something. I wasn't expecting it."

"What did you run into?"

"A body," Kae said. "Some poor schmuck is dead." There was silence before all three boys broke out into shouts. Kae winced. She hadn't realized they had all made it back there yet.

"What?"

"A body? Oh Lord…"

"Who is it?" Kae opened her mouth to say something, but Jessie beat her to it.

"Will you shut up?" She shouted. "We don't know who it is because we can't see! And you're using up oxygen so just _shut up!"_ There was dead silence. It was broken by Kae.

"Jessie? A flashlight or something?"

"Right," Jessie said and Kae heard her resume digging through the pack. "I think I found some matches…" Kae debated for a moment.

"Light them," she said. "Did you bring a flashlight?"

"No," Jessie answered. "I didn't think to."

"Okay, someone go back and get my pack," Kae said. "I have one in mine."

"No need," Tom said. "I brought a torch in mine." They listened to him slide the pack off his shoulders. He began digging through it.

"These aren't matches," Jessie sighed. "Never mind."

"What is it?"

"A cigar box…" Kae snorted.

"You smoke?"

"No!" Jessie protested and Kae could picture her face turning red. "I keep contact information in here." There was silence as they listened to Tom continue going through his pack. A moment later there was a triumphant cry from him.

"You might want to shut your eyes," he warned. Kae squeezed her eyes shut and a moment later, she heard Tom click the flashlight on. Kae squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. It wasn't particularly bright, but after spending hours in the dark, it may have very well been the sun.

Finally though, she could open her eyes fully. Everyone grinned at each other, momentarily forgetting about the body. Jessie hugged Luke, excited and James clapped Tom on the back, grinning wildly at Kae. Kae giggled and huggd him and Tom. And it was Tom brought them back to earth.

"Okay, guys," he said. "Let's find out who this poor schmuck, as Kae eloquently put it, is." He turned the light toward the body. There was a beat of silence and Kae let out a strangled cry.

--

Alex had found a little a overhang in which to shelter. He was protected on three sides, thankfully from the wind. He was marginally warmer as he dug through his pack, trying to find something to help start a fire.

He had tried to find his way back to the cave, but he had gotten hopelessly lost. He couldn't see a foot in front of him and he had found the overhang totally by accident. And by accident, it meant that he had walked into it…literally. He had banged his forehead on the sharp rock, though he hadn't cut it, thankfully. The last thing he needed was a bleeding head injury. Or just a head injury, but at this point, Alex would take what he could get. Which was a non-bleeding head injury.

Especially since both his shoulders and stomach were aching where the man had managed to land blows. He bullet wound twinged and he winced. He would have to tell Snake later. Make sure everything was okay…

For the three-billionth time he wished he had a watch or something to tell time with. As it was, there was nothing and seeing as the sky was as dark as night, Alex could only hope the blizzard would die down soon so he could start walking again.

Or he could just keep walking, hoping he was going in the right direction and risk falling off a cliff. Alex sighed. It was a sad, sad day when he couldn't even tell if he was going up or down a mountain…Alex once again blamed it on Alan Blunt, Mrs. Jones, John Crawley, The Royal and General Bank…

Grinning triumphantly, Alex pulled out a small box of tinder and matches. He wasn't entirely sure how long the tinder would last. If worst came to worst, he could always burning the labels off the cans and some of the underwear he had wrapped his feet in…possibly the entire match box.

Once again, though, Alex wasn't sure how long he could keep the fire going. Something slow burning would be nice, but unfortunately, Alex didn't think he had access to slow burning materials. His suspicions were confirmed when he checked his pack once again. On the other hand, he did have a torch. That had to count for something.

Alex would figure out what it counted for later. Just as soon as he got a fire going. He started the tinder and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it caught and how slowly it appeared to burning.

--

They had tried to search. They honestly had. But it was near impossible to search in a blizzard for six kids lost on fifty square miles of land. They had called the searchers back and now they were in the mess hall, one of the few buildings on the camp with heat. It had been too cold to stay in their cabins. Wolf was snarling and pacing. Ben was pacing as well, but he wasn't snarling at everything in sight. His forehead was creased in worry, though. Snake and Eagle were talking quietly, sitting across from each other at a table. It was close to midnight and no one was sleeping.

Lynx and his unit made their way over to K-unit. Hushed voices were heard around the hall. There were no words as H-unit sat next to K-unit, offering silent and subtle comfort. SAS wasn't really into the hug thing.

It wasn't that K-unit was worried about their own hides if the kids died. Cub was already the unorthodox fifth member and now it appeared that their unit had gained five more members. Wolf smirked inwardly. They had to be the most messed up unit in the history of SAS. A unit of ten members, six underage. All six of them unofficial.

It was even weirder than just that, though, because it seemed like the entire camp had adopted the kids as part of their units…or at the very least like little siblings.

He cursed as a particularly strong wind rattled the windows.

--

Alan Blunt was not a happy man. At all. He had just been informed by the SAS sergeant that all six of the children had gone missing, lost in a blizzard. He had also been informed that one of the soldiers had gone missing and they were suspecting foul play. Of course it was foul play. There was a trust no one policy that Blunt felt everyone should follow. Unfortunately, that camp was built on trust. The units had to trust each other and other units out on the battle field. They had to trust the sergeant to give them proper training to discipline as soldiers should be disciplined. They had to trust the speakers that came in to speak on certain subjects to know what they're talking about.

But what really irked Alan was that not one child was missing, but all six! Not just Rider, but McGregor, Harris, Freeman and the Thomas'. Mrs. Jones was sitting on the other side of the desk, her usual peppermint in her mouth and watching him with her dark eyes.

"Alan?" She asked him. Blunt returned to reality, fixing his gray eyes on her as he realized he hadn't enlightened her to the situation.

"The children are lost in a blizzard," he said emotionlessly. "They were sent on a survival hike. Around the same time, one of the units reported a missing member."

"Who?" Mrs. Jones asked. Blunt could tell that she was already putting the pieces together.

"Panther, from D-unit. He's still missing."

****

ZOMG!!!! And this is where I end the chapter!! Hopefully I'll have the next one up soon! You know, I'm starting to realize that an SAS camp really isn't the safest place on the earth…


	25. Rescues and Chuckie

**Yyaayl:** OMW!!!!! You're alive!!!!! Well, I guess you're just gonna have to read to find out who da poor schmuck is. Heh

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** Oh, my goodness how did you guess?

**Aphrodite100:** You're never dumb!!!! And I try.

**Don'tcallmemadeline:** Amen to that!

**Loser94:** No worries! How's your story going?

Mwuhahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now, pressing onward to this chapter!!! And people, **loser94** has an amazing thing going with her new Alex Rider story called 'The One'…you seriously should go check it out!!

****

James recognized him. He saw him in the pictures Kae kept taped up around her bed. He had never needed to ask who he was. At first, she talked about him all time, total and utter adoration shining in her eyes when she saw the pictures. Lately, there had still been that same adoration, but there was sadness there as well…a deep haunting sadness. She had stopped talking about him as well. It wasn't uncommon for you to walk into the cabin and see her just sitting on the bunk staring at the wall where the pictures were hanging.

Kae had her hands over her mouth, trying to hold back what seemed to be a thousand emotions. Her eyes were wide and she had stumbled back. Her breath came in short gasps as everyone else stared in shock.

Luke was the first to recover. Being the group's medic, he went over and checked his pulse, placing his hands carefully on the pale, sickly looking skin. He put his hand on both his neck and his wrists, as if double checking.

"He's alive," Luke said. "His pulse is weak." Luke was already stripping off his jacket and placing it over the figure. He glanced at Kae. "James, do something or she's going to go into shock." James stared at him in disbelief.

"What do you want me to do?" He demanded. "This is her cousin, who she thought was dead for almost two months." Luke huffed.

"Talk to her, slap her, anything to keep her focused. Don't dump water on her though," he added as an afterthought. "It's too cold for that and I'm going to need it to clean these wounds."

"Spencer?" Kae whispered in stunned disbelief. James pulled her off to the side. Tom had already shed his own jacket and placed it over Spencer as well. Luke was barking out instructions, which were hurriedly being followed. There was a distraction, for the time being, and time seemed to pass much more rapidly.

Luke cleaned Spencer's wounds as best he could and instructed Jessie to go and get whatever snow had fallen into the cave before it was sealed. Surprisingly, there was enough of it for Luke to pack on the open wounds and swellings that he could see.

Kae had managed to rouse herself from her state of shock and had crept closer to her cousin. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his cheek, as if assuring herself that he really was there. Jessie squeezed her hand comfortingly. Luke sighed and there was silence as everyone stared at the unconscious man.

The silence was broken by someone's stomach growling. A moment later, everyone else's followed suit. The kids couldn't help it. They chuckled a little. Kae still had her hand on Spencer's cheek. Luke had warned her that Spencer's hands were broken. Kae had almost started crying, but a quick slap from Jessie had taken care of that notion. They didn't need her getting hysterical on them.

"Do you think the blizzard's still going?" Tom asked quietly. There were shrugs and "I don't know" from around the tiny group.

Kae managed to keep it together for what seemed like forever. The five of them had huddle up against each other and around Spencer to provide warmth for each, Tom and Luke in the middle seeing as they had given up their jackets.

Then the flashlight burned out.

--

The blizzard ended around five in the morning. They had fallen into a light doze and it was the silence that had woken them up. Wolf had immediately roused his team and they yanked open to door, finding that they would have to actually climb over the snow bank to exit the mess hall. By now the rest of units were rousing themselves and rolling their necks, shaking out the kinks and knots in their joints.

The sun was rising and made the snow look like glittering diamonds. The men only spared the beautiful scene a brief glance before going to the Helipad. The snow was too high for the regular land rovers. Other units made for the storage shed where the snowmobiles were.

A pilot made it there ahead of them and was already starting up the helicopter. K-unit climbed in without a word. The pilot didn't even look at them, he was so engrossed in starting up the chopper. K-unit strapped themselves in, making sure they had a ladder to drop down. There would be nowhere to land if the unit were to jump out.

There were at least five choppers in the sky, doing a complicated flying pattern(1) to make sure no area would be missed.

--

Alex had somehow managed to survive the night. His fire had died out a long time ago, but he was able to pace to keep his blood flowing. He was exhausted. He had stayed up all night and when he had opened up a can of food, his hands had been so numb that he had cut himself on the sharp tin edge and hadn't even realized it until he had slapped his face to keep himself awake and then glanced at his hands to make sure they weren't frostbitten.

A sound caught his attention. It made him jump. He hadn't been expecting it and in the snow and eerily silent landscape, the sound seemed magnified by a hundred. It took his sluggish brain a moment to process what it was.

His head snapped up, his eyes frantically searching the skies. Then he saw them. He saw two choppers swerving and zigzagging through the sky. Alex opened his mouth and let out a hoarse yell. He began jumping up and down, waving his arms.

At first he thought the choppers were going to fly right over him, but then one began circling and the other simply began making its search pattern a little wider. A rope ladder was dropped and a soldier began descending rapidly. Alex dimly recognized him as a man from another that K-unit hung out with. Lynx or something.

Lynx didn't say anything, only scooped Alex up and placed him on his hip like a child. Alex didn't know how the man was going to climb the ladder carrying the teen like that, but he didn't have to energy to care or protest at being picked up.

Lynx had this worked out though. He put his left foot on the ladder first and settled Alex's weight there. Then he grasped the ladder and brought his right foot onto the ladder as well. He lifted his left leg and Alex and slid his hands up the ladder before raising his right leg. They continued up the ladder in that fashion.

Another soldier grabbed Alex and hauled him in. A blanket was draped around his shoulders and Alex jumped in surprise when he was embraced.

"Get him warm," Lynx instructed. "Falcon, he has an injury on his hand." Alex protested weakly as his shoes were yanked off.

"I'm Falcon," the soldier said, a little gently. "I need to check your feet to make sure they're not frostbitten. Can you feel anything in them?"

"They're burning," Alex said slowly. He wasn't trying to insult the man. He just couldn't talk any faster. Lynx was speaking into a headset, no doubt alerting K-unit they had found Alex. Then he knelt in front of Alex.

"Bear is holding you," he said, explaining the mystery soldier to Alex. "I need you to tell me what happened." Alex swallowed and his foot jerked when Falcon touched a ticklish spot. Falcon smirked before pulling Alex's socks back over his feet.

"We were walking down the mountain," he said. "There was a man…with a gun…"

"What did he look like?" Lynx asked.

"Tall…blue eyes…red-brown hair…what was left of it anyway…"

"That sounds like Panther," another soldier said tensely. "The-" Lynx held up a hand to stop him. The man fell silent and Lynx turned back to Alex.

"What happened next, Alex?" He asked. Alex swallowed and continued.

"He sealed the others in a cave and he was going to ah-ah-AH-CHOO!" Alex sneezed. Falcon sighed.

"A cold," he said. "Possibly pneumonia. Lucky he still has all his digits after a night in that weather." Lynx shot a glare at the man, but Alex ignored him, wiping his nose. He was still in Bear's embrace and he shifted slightly.

"The others in a cave and he was gonna take me to a helicopter," Alex finished. Lynx was focused on him.

"Alex, can you tell us how to find the cave?"

--

They were running out of air. There had been no breeze and Luke had lit a match only briefly to see if there was one. There wasn't and he blew it out. They couldn't waste oxygen on a fire. Nobody spoke as they sat there in the dark. It used up oxygen. Talking wasn't a luxury they could afford.

When the flashlight had burned out, they had turned on the other one. Eventually that one had flickered and died too. They had tried to eat while they still had light, but the temperature had frozen the contents inside the cans. Kae was willing to bet the food in the cans tasted better than the food at the mess hall.

Kae felt her eyelids growing heavy. She was getting drowsy and she knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit something and to forget that she was buried alive and dying. She didn't have the energy.

_I wonder if this what the ancient Egyptians felt like when they were sealed in the tombs,_ she thought blearily, rubbing her eyes.

A scraping noise captured her attention, but she dismissed it as a dream. She was having a nice one right now. They were getting rescued. Someone was calling their names but…she was getting pulled down the tunnel. She frowned, this dream wasn't so nice anymore. Especially they started shining bright lights. She didn't like that at all. Or the voices. They were crowding around and Kae whimpered. This was turning into a nightmare.

--

Eagle cradled Kae in his arm as he climbed the rope ladder. D-unit's helicopter hovered close by as Lynx carried Tom up to the bird. Snake was carrying Luke, but the boy stirred and murmured something that caused Snake's eyes to widen, dump him in Wolf's arms and dive back into the cave. Fox frowned, passing James off to Falcon and then followed his teammate back into the cave.

He pulled himself into the chopper and wrapped a blanket around Kae, settling her next to Jessie. A moment later, Luke appeared and Eagle grabbed him, setting him gently next to the other two and helping Wolf in.

"What was that about?" He asked. Wolf shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "How are they?" He gestured to the kids. Eagle scowled.

"I'm not Snake," he said. "I have no idea what's wrong with them." Wolf glowered and Eagle settled down a bit. He really shouldn't take his anger out on Wolf. It wasn't his fault, after all. Feeling a little stupid, Eagle draped another blanket over all three of them. Who knew a chopper could carry so many blankets?

"Holy…" Wolf's shocked and quiet voice drew Eagle's attention and he joined his leader at the open door of the helicopter. Snake was carrying a grown man out of the cave.

"Drop the stretcher," Wolf ordered and Eagle obeyed, not hesitating. Snake placed the man on the stretcher and strapped him in. A moment later, the man and the other two members of K-unit were inside the chopper.

"We don't have time to go back to base," Snake was saying. "They all need medical attention _now._"

"I'll radio the sergeant," Wolf said. He turned to the pilot. "We're not going back to base. We're going to St. Dominic."

"Did we ever find out what happened to Panther?" Eagle asked, looking at his older teammates.

"Alex tied him to a tree," Wolf answered grimly. "We've still got units out looking for him."

"And the odds of finding him are…?"

"Not good."

--

"Ever get the feeling you're really cold but you can't get warm?" Kae scowled at the wall in front of her. The kids were gathered in Alex's room. It was about a week since they'd been locked in the cave and K-unit was prowling the halls like over-protective fathers. The fact that D-unit was scaring the poop out of everyone in the lobby wasn't helping any either.

Kae was curled up on Alex's bed, having deemed that if they could all have visitors, he could share the bed. She was wrapped up in the blanket from her own room though. Alex may be good at sharing, but he wasn't _that_ good.

"Kae, you asked that question yesterday," Tom said, rolling his eyes. Kae turned her glower to him.

"Tom, me yelling it across the hall because I wasn't allowed to get up and go ask you personally doesn't count as asking it already."

"You didn't just yell it to the hallway," James snickered. "More like the entire floor. I'm pretty sure everyone heard you." Kae grabbed Alex's pillow from underneath him in one fluid motion, but before she could throw it at her boyfriend, Alex grabbed her wrist and wrestled it back. Kae abruptly changed the subject.

"So you're a spy," she said. Alex sighed. He knew it would come up eventually, but that didn't stop him from wishing that it wouldn't. Everyone was silent.

"I knew," Tom said. "Before you guys." Everyone turned to him, taking the focus off Alex, something he was grateful for.

"It makes sense," Jessie said thoughtfully. "I mean, all the times you've gone missing and coming back with cuts and bruises and all sorts of injuries."

"Kinda shocking," Kae put it. "Definitely wasn't suspecting it. Reminds me of how I felt when I asked this guy I really like to the Sadie Hawkins dance and he told me he was gay." There was a snort of laughter from Luke.

"Really?" Kae nodded sagely.

"Yeah," she replied. "One of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Of course I didn't believe him. I thought he was saying it because he didn't want to go with me."

"What made you believe him?" James asked, not bothering to try and hide the smile on his face. Kae scowled at him before answering.

"I was walking through the parking lot because I was leaving a football game," she said. "I saw him and his boyfriend making out in the backseat of his boyfriend's car."

"How long ago was this?" Alex asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Last year," Kae answered. "It was even more embarrassing when his boyfriend looked up and saw me." Everyone burst out laughing.

"Okay, I've got to ask," Jessie said, giggling. "Who was on top?"

"His boyfriend," Kae answered, scowling again. "So not only did I pick a gay guy to like, but I picked a bottom gay guy!" There was a snort of laughter from the doorway. Wolf and Eagle were listening but a moment later, they were brushed aside by the doctor. Kae sat up instantly.

"How is he?" She asked. The doctor sighed and shook his head.

"You are a very impatient young lady," he told her. "He's still unconscious, but his vitals are stable. By the way, there's a woman named Elle Greenaway and Derek Morgan. Do any of you know them?"

"I do," Kae said automatically. "Can I go see them?"

"_They_ can come see _you_," the doctor said. "I must be out of my mind to let you wander to each other's rooms but you are in no way, shape or form going down to the lobby." He left, leaving Kae grumbling under her breath.

"We're in a hospital," she muttered. "What could happen?"

"You'd be surprised," Alex said sagely. "I was here before. Some terrorist organization was trying to kidnap the boy across the hall from me."

"Oh…" There was an awkward silence before Kae broke it. "Abraham Lincoln!"

"Erm…"

"Nutty Americans," Tom said, shaking his head.

"I rather resent that," a voice from the doorway said. Everyone's head snapped around and Kae's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Morgan!" She squealed. James swore that she flew across the fifteen feet between the bed and the door when she launched herself at the black man standing in the doorway.

"Hey, baby doll," he said, wrapping her in a bear hug and lifted her in the air. "What on earth did you get yourself into?" Kae pouted and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Why do you always blame me?" She sulked before lighting up again. "Guys, this is Morgan and Elle. Morgan and Elle, the blond boy on the bed is Alex, the redhead girl right next to him is Jessie, the redhead boy scowling at them is her cousin, Luke, Tom is the boy with black spikes and then James is my boyfriend."

"You know, for someone who supposedly hated it here," Morgan said. "You certainly do seem to enjoy their company."

"Morgan…" Kae whined. "Of course I have. They're amazing people. And maybe I don't hate it anymore." She squirmed. "Will put me down now? Elle still needs a hug."

"How about you tell who the people glaring holes into our backs are?" Morgan asked, ignoring her. Kae huffed.

"That really scary one right there is Wolf," she said. "Eagle is the one right next to him. I don't know where Fox and Snake are, though."

"Getting coffee," Wolf grunted. Kae smiled and stage-whispered to Morgan and Elle, "Wolf is really just a big teddy bear once you get to know him." Seeing Wolf's death glare, Kae buried her face in Morgan's shoulder. "Ah, maybe not a teddy bear. More like Chuckie." They all clearly heard of her whimper of, "I'm gonna die later."

****

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm done with chapter 25…not entirely sure I totally liked how this one turned out, but hey, Happy Turkey Assassination Day!!! The day in which turkeys are assassinated because we're thankful we're still walking around on this earth because we're all horrible rotten people who should be struck dead by lightening. Don't try to deny it. You know it's true.

1: I have no ideas what type of flying patterns can be used for search-and-rescue so bear with me, please lol.


	26. Guilt, Guilt and More Guilt

**Lake25:** Thanksgiving always lands on the last Thursday of November lol. Isn't Criminal Minds great? I love it to death :D. The story is almost done, BUT there's a sequel, so it's all good.

**ScOrPiA pOiSoN:** I think he is. I think if we were to ever meet him in real life and spend time with him, that's why he would be like(as long as we didn't annoy the crap out of him, anyway).

**Chloe Griffin: **I have no clue what happened to Hotch because I've just recently gotten into Criminal Minds and I'm still back on season 2. Annoying, right?

**Izzy-I.R.T:** Why thank you very much! And where is your story, missy? I miss it!

**Loser94:** I appreciate it! Again, how is your story going????

**Aphrodite100:** I think you'll find what you're looking for near the end of this chapter heh. Hope that's what you meant *hopeful look*

**Azrael210:** Now I am truly flattered. But I am curious. What made you come back and read it?

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** I do understand it, I do, I do! And I will tell how it happened. Panther was taking care of him…kind of…I mean, not well, but he was keeping him alive at the very least…

**Topaz-tantei:** They do…eventually…mwuhahaha! Jkk, well….just read, please

This chapter's a little more angsty…Just FYI

****

Kae left the room, wandering the corridor with Elle and Morgan, much to the annoyance of the doctor. Kae was holding her blanket around her like a shawl. There was _no way_ she was walking around the hospital in just that skimpy hospital gown. Not even if they gave her two. There was silence for a few moments before Kae broke it.

"How's Hotch?" She asked. "And Emily? And Gideon? And Garcia? And David?" Morgan chuckled.

"They're all fine, baby doll," he said. "A little annoyed at being put into hiding. Garcia especially. She hates not having access to her computers." Kae winced.

"Oops," she said, sounding sheepish. "Sorry."

"You make it sound like it's your fault," Elle chuckled. Kae shrugged. She didn't know why she was apologizing, but it might be because she felt bad that they all were stuck with a technology deprived Garcia…

"Well, from my experience, hanging with Garcia when she doesn't have the internet at her hands is very…crazy, to put it lightly and nicely," Kae said. Morgan laughed.

"Yeah, it is," he said. "So, I heard you and your friends solved that case Hotch sent over." Kae nodded, thinking back to the man. She shuddered and shoved his face from her mind.

"Yeah," she said. "Poor Jessie is traumatized, though. She hates daffodils." The adults gave her funny looks. Kae ignored them. She wasn't going to explain. Elle changed the subject, however. She changed it to a subject that Kae did not exactly appreciate.

"_How's your Spanish?"_ She fired off. Kae jumped. She hadn't been expecting it. She froze for several long moments, trying to translate what Elle had just said. By the time she managed to, Elle was frowning deeply at her and Morgan was trying not to laugh.

"Um…not so-"

"_Answer in Spanish,"_ Elle commanded. Kae frowned as Morgan snorted. She hated learning foreign languages, though Spanish was the one she was most familiar with, curtsey of Elle.

"_Okay…?"_ it came out like a question. Seeing Elle's disapproving glare get darker, Kae sought rapidly for a topic switch. Or at the very least, an escape exit. Her relief was perpetual when she saw the doctor heading towards them. He could blend in with the whitewall, Kae thought drily, watching the white-clad man walk towards them quickly.

"He's awake," was all they needed before they were all but sprinting down the hall to Spencer's room. The nurse stopped them at the door. Kae bounced up and down impatiently, clutching the blanket around her tightly. She wished she had thought to put on socks. Her feet were freezing! Stupid lack of carpeting in hospitals who insist on using freezing linoleum…her mental rant was interrupted by the nurse's voice.

"He can't talk, he's barely conscious. Use hushed voices," the nurse commanded sternly. "Only kin are allowed to see him."

"Can't you see the family resemblance?" Kae snapped. "They're his family, too." The nurse glared a moment more before stepping aside and allowing the three of them enter the room.

Kae felt like she was in a funeral home. They were utterly silent as they moved towards the bed. The beeping of the monitors was enhanced by the silence and Kae didn't dare speak as she moved slowly over to Spencer's bed. The lights were a little dimmed and that made Kae feel especially out of place.

She wanted to cry when she saw Spencer's face. This was the first time she'd seen it since they were rescued from the cave and even though it was doing a lot better, it was still really bad. Both his eyes were swollen almost shut. Cuts and bruises decorated his face and his lip was split in multiple places. Both of his hands were wrapped in bandages. Underneath the hospital gown, Kae could see bandages around his chest. His skin was a sickly, pale color. His cheeks were hollow and sunken in from starvation.

"He's okay, baby doll," Morgan whispered. Kae swallowed and nodded, trying to open up her throat. She reached behind her blindly and Elle grabbed her hand, understanding immediately. Tears were welling up in her eyes and Kae blinked rapidly, trying to fight them back. Elle pulled her into a hug and Kae buried her face into her chest.

She heard the doctor come in and heard Morgan asking him what all was wrong. He had three broken ribs. He suffered from severe pneumonia and malnutrition. Both his hands were broken. He wouldn't be able to use them as well as he used to. He had hairline fractures up and down his arms and legs and he had suffered multiple beatings. He was lucky to be alive. Kae couldn't stop a sob that escaped from her throat.

"Kae," Elle whispered. "He wants you to talk to him." Kae peeked at her cousin. She could see his eyes moving around, but they were glazed over from the medication. She stood up straight, wiping her eyes and taking deep, shaky breaths. She turned to the doctor.

"Can he understand us?" She felt silly asking the question. "Because of all the drugs?" The doctor nodded.

"He should be able too," he said. "At the very least, he can focus on your voice." Kae approached the bed, her stomach rolling. She was going to be one of those people who can't stand the sight of blood and-

"Spencer?" She said, timidly. "It's me, Kae." She fiddled with the hem of the blanket and heard the doctor, Morgan and Elle leave quietly. "Um…they say you can understand me or at the very least, focus on my voice. I…I, uh, I guess I want to say sorry. I mean, this is kinda my fault you're like this. If I had just listened to the gunman, they wouldn't have gone after you. I mean, I could've just not shown him the picture, but I wanted to-to gloat, that he was stupid enough to be seen and now it nearly cost you your life and it nearly cost everyone else their lives and, oh, gods, I can't do this."

She collapsed in the chair next to the bed and bent over, sobbing. She was so stupid, stupid, stupid! This was all her fault! If she hadn't been so proud and arrogant, she never would've held up the picture for the man to see and she wouldn't have been a priority on SCORPIA's hit list, so they never would've gone after Spencer. And he wouldn't have almost died twice because of her and he wouldn't be like this. He wasn't supposed to be broken like this. He was her cousin. He was her rock. Sure, she loved Morgan and he was great for when she had introduced her first boyfriend to the team and he had been scared off by the man (well, all of them really, but mainly Morgan.), but Spencer was her foundation.

"Eh…" Kae's head snapped up. Tears and snot were dripping down her face. She wiped them on the blanket and focused on Spencer. His brown eyes were focusing on her, but they were so swollen shut that Kae couldn't read his emotions.

"Uv oo." Kae stared at him before reaching out and hesitantly touching a part of his face that wasn't bruised. Tears started falling fast and heavy again down her face.

"I love you too," she whispered.

(A/N: I definitely considered ending the chapter because it seemed like such a good ending! And then I decided I didn't want to be flayed alive.)

"Let me get this straight," Kae said. She was back in Alex's room. Well, they all were. Morgan and Elle had gone back to Jack's house. Morgan promised he would stop by the next day before his flight left. "We're _not_ going back to Brecon Beacons?"

"That's right," Alex said. "Blunt decided it would be too dangerous to keep us there."

"Blunt? Is he your…ah…employer, for lack of a better word?" Kae asked. Alex nodded, scowling. "So, um, where are we going then?"

"They have a safe house somewhere," Alex said. "As soon as the doctor clears us, we're going there."

"Soo, who's going with us?" Kae cocked her head to side. Alex nodded toward the door. Kae's head swiveled around, reminding Alex faintly of an owl. The look of horror on her face was comical. _"Them?!"_ Alex nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"Did they ever find Panther?" Luke asked. Alex nodded, no longer smiling. "What happened to him?" Alex didn't answer and instead chose to stare pointedly out the window at the cold weather. "Oh…" There was an awkward silence before Jessie spoke.

"Don't dwell on it, Alex," she said quietly, placing a small hand over his small one. "He would've just killed you. He tried to kill us." A frown tugged at his lips and he remained silent. Kae stood and sent a glare at the other guys, gesturing them towards the door. Tom and James stood, but Luke crossed his arms and glared at her. Kae went over and grabbed his ear, hauling him to his feet. A grunt of pain escaped him as Kae hustled him toward the door before shutting it firmly behind them.

Jessie simply ignored it all, sitting on next to him on the bed, her feet dangling off the edge, but she saw the way Alex watched them leave, watched him analyze everything that might be different about the room and she placed her other hand on his. His skin was warm against hers and Jessie felt strangely comforted by that.

"Alex," she said softly. She reluctantly lifted one of her hands from his and used two fingers to gently turn his face towards hers. His dark chocolate brown eyes met her lighter brown ones. "Stop. You didn't do anything wrong." Alex scowled at her.

"How can you say that?" He demanded. "I murdered someone. You're supposed to hate me. It's in your Bible-"

"Shut up." Jessie's voice was low and dangerous and Alex's mouth snapped shut. "You didn't murder anyone. It was self-defense. It's a war. Yeah, it's in my Bible, sixth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill," but you're fighting a war. It wasn't murder." Her eyes narrowed. "And what do you mean, I'm supposed to hate you? What do you think forgiveness is, you dolt? Something we do when we feel like it? We don't hate anyone. Yeah, we get mad, who doesn't? But we forgive." She took a deep breath. "I'm done preaching now."

There was a long silence. Jessie was staring at Alex's hand and tracing a circle on it with her thumb. They must've sat there for nearly ten minutes, so Jessie jumped when Alex spoke.

"Thank you." Jessie looked up, startled, and a small gasp of surprise escaped her when Alex met her lips with his own. She sat there like a lump for a moment as her brain finished processing what was going on and then she returned the kiss. Alex's hands slid to her waist and pulled her closer to him.

And then the door burst open.

"OI! WHAT IS THIS, A FREE-FOR-ALL?"

****

And now I'm ending the chapter! I'm going to be wrapping the story up in the next couple of chapters and then you all have the sequel to look forward to! Fun stuff guys!


	27. Kissing and No One to Trust

**Turn-On-The-Stars:** *pumps fist* Yes, yes, yes!!! I'll need ideas because I don't pull a whole lot!!!

**Frappefreak11:** I'm glad this has gotten better, in your opinion. I wasn't so sure myself when I started writing it lol

**Azrael210:** Cool beans :D

**Loser94:** Woot woot! Give it up for Mickey!

**ScOrPiA pOiSoN:** It's just not Alex's day today, sadly.

**Ovolamp:** Heh, its two people neither of which I'd want to cross at that moment…

**Aphrodite100:** You're very welcome :o) I love that face. The first time I saw it I was so confused, no joke

**PureAngelEnchantress:** Thank you! I wasn't too sure about the chapter in general and I'm a little iffy on this one, but ya know…I guess…

**Leonessa Ivanovna:** Yes ma'am/sir. I will remember that. I think someone told me not to do that before and I forgot, but I won't let it happen again!

**Amourenvie:** I will have to remember that because otherwise I'll be like "what happened???" I think I might throw her in eventually when they get back to school…if only because I'm a Sabina-hater…

**Izzy-I.R.T:** It IS going to be about the group because they're still in danger and I've just had like three billion ideas and I forsee this not stopping at a third story, but maybe, _maybe_ continuing. Plus, I don't know if I'm even gonna do a third story, but it very well could turn into a series if everyone wants it too. And hurry back! Evil bans!

**Lake25:** No problem! And careful you don't catch flies…I don't think they'd taste very good, though I bet they're crunchy.

Alex and Jessie jumped apart, looking guilty. Jessie would've fallen off the bed if hadn't been for Alex and both them were turning a brilliant shade of red. Wolf and Luke looked murderous. Kae peered around them to see what the fuss was. Tom and James followed suit.

"Aww, you guys make such a cute couple!" Kae squealed. "It's about time!" Luke's eye was twitching as he turned to Kae.

"About time for what?" He demanded quietly. Kae paused, probably debating a safe answer. There was silence and everyone could see her mentally go, Ah screw it, before answering.

"Well, it's obvious they've liked each other for a long time now," Kae said cheerfully, either not noticing or ignoring the death glares that Jessie and Alex were shooting her way. "I'm mean, you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to notice!" Kae stopped when she noticed everyone glaring at her. "Or guys. Because guys don't notice this sort of thing…unless they're gay…or really insightful." Sensing that she might be nearing her doom, Kae directed the attention off herself. "So, anyway, what was the purpose of barging in here, Wolf and Luke?"

"I needed to talk to Jessie," Luke said.

"I needed to talk to Cub," Wolf answered at the same time. "But right now we obviously have another issue to discuss." Tom grinned.

"Hey, Wolf-man, we've all had the birds and the bees explained," he said. "We don't need you to explain it." Wolf snapped his head around to glare at him. Tom only grinned and shrugged, wisely scooting behind Snake. The Scotsman rolled his eyes and muttered to Tom, "You're an okay kid, but if Wolf comes after you I'm not helping." Tom looked a little disturbed.

"I didn't think we'd have to do this, but a couple can't be in a room by themselves with the door closed-"

"It's not like there's not cameras in the rooms," Alex muttered. Wolf ignored him.

"You are NOT (here he paused to mutter, "I can't _believe_ I'm doing this.") allowed to kiss. If you wanted to express your affection, Cub, you could've done so in a different manner." Here, Kae objected. She rather liked it when she James kissed. He was a fantastic kisser.

"Hey, now! That's how James and I got together! What's wrong with kissing?" She demanded.

"What's wrong with kissing is that it could lead to…other…stuff and the last thing we need is a teenage pregnancy!" Wolf snapped at her.

"What about pecks and public kisses?" Kae asked, grinning mischievously.

"No, because no one wants to see it," Eagle cut in. Kae stuck her tongue out. James put his arm around her sympathetically.

"I am insulted that you would think that I would be stupid enough to do that," Kae announced to the room at large. There was silence as everyone stared at her. Tom broke it.

"That's the problem, Kae," he said. "You are stupid enough to do that."

"Hey!" She yelped, looking around for something to throw. Finding nothing, she settled for sticking her tongue out at him. "Am not."

"You called Wolf a teddy bear," Alex pointed out. "That doesn't exactly speak highly of your intelligence."

"My cousin taught me never to tell a lie," Kae said. Wolf looked ready to throttle her. "ANYWAY! Weren't you guys yelling at Alex and Jessie for making out?"

"Way to throw us under the bus, Kae," Jessie glared. The taller girl shrugged.

"Hey, all's fair in war," she said. "If this happens to keep me alive, then so be it. Now I'm going to leave before I end up getting myself killed."

"Too late," Eagle muttered.

"See, exactly my point. Toodles!" Kae slid out the door and there was silence for a few minutes before Snake turned to the rest of the group, looking incredulous.

"Did she just say _toodles?"_

--

"You hate me."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. That is the _only_ explanation for this." Kae crossed her arms and glared at Elle. Eagle only looked amused and far-too-gleeful. Kae had been talking to Elle and Elle _had_ to bring up her Spanish and how it wasn't really all that great. At this point Eagle had walked by and innocently asked what was going on. Elle, having no clue as to Eagle's true, evil nature, told him that Kae wasn't keeping up to speed on her Spanish. It was at that point that Kae had jumped back in.

"Kae, I don't hate you because I want to work on your Spanish," Elle said, exasperated. Kae scowled even harder.

"Yes you do. Otherwise you wouldn't have told Eagle. Do you know what he can do with that knowledge?" Elle raised her brows at the teenager.

"Kae, unless he speaks Spanish, there really isn't a whole lot he can do with that," Elle said. Kae paused. She hadn't thought of that.

"Actually," Eagle said. "My teammate, Wolf, is fluent in Spanish. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help Kae with her Spanish." Kae let out a wail, and buried her face in her hands.

"You've got be joking! Out of all of you, it had to be _Wolf?_" She cried. "Eagle, are you trying to kill me?" Elle sighed in frustration as Eagle answered.

"Well, he _is_ the Hispanic one…"

"My life is over."

"Kae, stop being so dramatic," Elle snapped. They were in the hallway. Morgan had already left to catch his flight and Jack was down the hall, talking to Alex and Tom. Kae had liked the red-headed woman immediately.

"But, Elle!" Elle glared at her and Kae settled down. When Elle looked at you like that, it was wiser to shut up and cut your losses. Eagle gaped at Elle.

"You have to teach me how to do that!"

--

"Wait, we _are_ going back to Brecon Beacons?" Jessie demanded. She wasn't thrilled with that. None of them were. She was just the first to voice her thoughts on the matter. Which was rare, since Jessie was never the first to speak, always choosing her words carefully. Guess she hated the camp that much.

They were back in Alex's room. (Notice how that seems to happen a lot?) It seemed to have become the official gathering place. Not that Alex minded all that much. He was just relieved that they didn't push him away after discovering he was a spy. They didn't pester him for details either. The last couple of months had matured them a lot and they seemed to get that he probably didn't want to talk about them.

"It's just until after Christmas," Fox said, trying to reassure the girl. "MI6 needs time to locate a suitable safe house."

"Why don't they already have one?" James asked. Wolf narrowed his eyes at the boy. He really hated teenagers and their snot-nosed ways but…he had asked a good question. Fox answered.

"They're currently all in use," he said smoothly and reassuringly. "So they're searching for a new one."

"Why can't we just stay with our families?" Tom asked. This time it was Snake who answered.

"They're worried about the emotional strain it might put on you if you were to stay with them for a while and then have to leave again," he answered. Kae resisted the urge to snort.

"That's why we haven't received any counseling, right? They're worried about the strain? Whatever. I'm leaving." She stood up and stormed to her room next door. Snake heard her snarling swearwords at the door for not being able to slam. Then the door clicked shut and there was silence for a few minutes.

"I think I'm gonna turn in," James announced. He turned to Luke and Tom. "Coming, mates?" They nodded and stood. Jessie pecked Alex on the cheek and slid off the bed, deliberately ignoring the glares she was receiving from the adults. A moment later, K-unit filed out and resumed their pacing up and down the hall.

Kae curled up on the window sill, staring at the snow. The flakes were big and white and reflected off the streetlights down below. It truly was a breathtaking sight and Kae wished that she had her stuff so she could draw it.

They all had nightmares, she knew. There had been more than a few occasions that they would wake up, panting and sweating, sometimes crying at the sheer terror of the nightmare. Sometimes when she was awake after such an instance, she could hear the others through the wall reliving their own hells.

Alex's were the worst. He thrashed the most and more than once, she heard Jessie get up and go to soothe him before they'd even become an official couple. She even checked up on everyone else. She would sit with them and bring them water from the water machine in the hall and would listen as they described whatever horror they had relived that night. Kae wished she could be even half the person Jessie was.

--

Snake didn't want to admit it, but he had to. Kae was right. While making sure they were okay physically, no one had actually gone out of their way to make sure the kids were all right mentally and it was showing. There were bags under eyes from lost sleep. Especially Jessie. She was the one who was haunted the most, besides Alex, but she was also the one who made sure everyone else was all right.

He remembered the first time she went to everyone's room. He had been standing outside Cub's door, listening to him moan and thrash and was debating going in when her door clicked open from down the hall. Her footsteps were quiet, almost nonexistent and she had simply slipped past Snake like a spectrum and pale as a ghost. He had listened to her whisper soothing things to Alex and then watched in astonishment as she slipped back out of Alex's room and slipped into Tom's, still quiet.

Snake caught Wolf's eye and jerked his head to the end of the hall. He did so with the rest of his teammates and they followed him to the end so they could talk privately, without risk of one of the kids hearing.

"She's right," he said in a low voice, jumping in without giving the rest time to say anything. "They've received no counseling. They're tough kids, sure, but they're still kids." Wolf was feeling the same way. He had seen it in the way he had been frowning as he paced the halls.

"They need someone to talk too," Fox said. "And from what I can tell, they're a tight-lipped group. They're not going to spill their guts to some stranger."

"Cub is already talking to Jessie and Tom," Eagle said. "But they're going to need someone to talk to. It's probably tough, being so close to a spy."

"They're not going to tell us," Wolf snorted. "Are you crazy? They won't betray his confidence. Cub needs to talk to us personally."

"Wait…us?" Snake frowned. That had been unexpected. Wolf looked at him like he was crazy.

"Well, yeah," he said. "It's like Fox said, they're not going to talk to some stranger. Obviously, they won't be able to just keep in their group because it's a lot of crap to deal with. They're going to want to talk to an adult."

"Will they?" Snake interrupted quietly. "They may need to talk to an adult, but they won't necessarily want to. Teenagers are already closed-mouth enough around adults in a normal setting. What about now, after they've learned that not all adults are trustworthy?"

No one had an answer.

****

Okay, so I'm thinking it might take a little longer than just a couple more chapters to wrap this up…


	28. Easter Bunny and Christmas Gifts

**ScOrPiA pOiSoN:** I do feel a bit bad for them…but if Kae would only be a little more responsible, she wouldn't find herself in half these messes. Tsk. Silly Kae

**Turn-On-The-Stars**: It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would to wrap this up, though I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter :P. I'll need them really soon! I'll PM you as soon as I need them!

**Lake25:** Oops. Sorry. The sequel will be about them in the safe house, yes and I think it's going to focus more on how they're dealing with everything, so it probably won't be as long as this one. Maybe…

**Aphrodite100:** What I really hate is when I find something really funny on Fanfiction and I can't laugh cos it's like two in the morning and I'd get in a load of trouble for being on the internet

**Ovolamp: **I love brightening people's moods :D. And I'm working on that story that you suggested…heh, having some fun writing it too

**Loser94:** One of the most fun things to say on this earth :oD

**Slivergriffen10:** He will, though Kae is less than thrilled with his methods…hee

**Izzy-I.R.T:** You're back!!!!!!!!! I'm glad you think so, though I dunno how this all is going to work out lol

I would now like to sell my soul to **Venlar** who helped me a TON with this story! Seriously, she's amazing.

I would also like to thank **Ovolamp** who's helped me come up with a couple of those one-shots I posted. The second one has yet to be posted, but it's getting there.

And I would like to thank my reviewers/readers because seriously, you provide motivation.

I love you all!

****

The jeep pulled up in the camp. The snow had gone down a bit and it was no longer crisp and white. On the contrary, it was muddy and filled with debris. Of course the kids had been forced to ride in the back, but this time they were plastered up against the back and they had been given a blanket.

"I'M SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, JUST SINGIN' IN THE RAIN! WHAT A GLORIOUS FEELING, I'M HAPPY AGAIN, I'M LAUGING AT CLOUDS, SO DARK UP ABOVE-"

"Kae, it's not raining…" Kae huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at Tom. The jeep was slowing down and they could hear the descants of the soldiers.

"Tom, it's like you expect me to care," she said, then frowned, thinking. "Okay, how about this? I'M SINGIN' IN THE SNOW, JUST SINGIN' IN THE SNOW! WHAT GLORIOUS FEELING-"

"SHUT UP!" Wolf shouted, climbing out of the cab. Kae grinned and hopped out.

"It's nice to hear your voice too," she said cheerfully. Seeing his glare, she added hastily, "Sir." Wolf got a malicious gleam in his eyes. Uh-oh.

"Eagle mentioned that you're learning Spanish," he said. Kae swallowed and shuffled backwards, only to hit the side of the jeep. Wolf was really, really scary right now. "And that you're having trouble."

"N-no!" Kae squeaked. "I'm not! Really, I've got it all under control and…and…stuff! Yeah, see it's just a few minor bumps, no need to worry and-"

"I thought I could tutor you, seeing as it's so important to your friend Elle," Wolf continued over her babbling. "So from now on, you're only allowed to talk in Spanish. I'm going to be talking to you only in Spanish. Any slip-ups will result in push-ups, am I clear?"

"_Yes, sir,"_ she whimpered. Aw, geez. She could just kill him. And Eagle. And Elle. Well, maybe not Elle. She loved Elle. It was everyone else she had problems with. Well, not so much anymore. She had actually gotten used to them and respected them, which had toned down her attitude a lot. Never her energy, though. But that was beside the point!

Kae waited until they were in their cabin to freak out. She was the last one in and she shut the door behind her. She kept it together long enough to go to the window and make sure K-unit was in their own cabin. Three cabins away. Not nearly a big enough gap for Kae, but big enough.

"AAH! I can't do this!" She wailed. "I can't speak Spanish 24/7! Do you know what that will do to me? It'll kill me!"

"Kae…" Everyone was kind of staring at her.

"I mean, is he crazy? I don't mind learning Spanish. I don't have anything against the language, but…HIM!" Kae stormed back and forth, continuing her rant.

"Kae-"

"Can he do that? Is it even legal? He just enjoys torturing me, the psychotic, sadistic, evil…evil…evil…Easter Bunny! He's an evil psychotic, sadistic Easter Bunny who-"

"Kae!"

"Who enjoys torturing people! He'll kill me and then hide the evidence and it'll be like I never existed-"

"I doubt that could ever happen," Luke muttered.

"And he'll turn into a mass murderer and kill a bunch of people! I mean, am I the only one sees issues with this?"

"Kae…"

"Evil, evil, evil! That's all this is! It's evil!" Kae stopped long enough to take a breath and look at her group of friends, who were fixated on a point just over her shoulder. Kae felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"He's right behind me, isn't he?" Tom nodded and smiled. Kae turned around slowly and saw all four SAS men standing there. Three of the men looked amused and the other simply looked annoyed. There was silence until Eagle broke it.

"Easter Bunny?"

Aw, crap.

--

"_It's Christmas, it's Christmas, it's Christmas!"_ Kae yelped in Spanish, bouncing up and down on Jessie's bed before jumping to Tom's and landing on his back. Oops.

"I know it's before five because there are no soldiers in here tipping beds," James groaned. "Kae, why are you up?" Of course all he heard was her babbling in Spanish as she bounced up and down on his bed.

"She says it's Christmas," Alex groaned from his bed, already rousing himself. "And somehow I don't think we'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon." He switched to Spanish for Kae. _"Why did you wake up so early? Apart from its Christmas."_

"_I had to pee."_ Alex cocked a brow and shook his head. Kae smiled and bounced to her bed. Even after a week of numerous push-ups, she still had to force herself to speak Spanish.

Kae quickly shoved her gifts to everyone and sat back, eagerly waiting for them to open it. She had gotten Jessie a cable knit dark green sweater. Luke had a gotten a medical book and Tom had gotten a book of 101+ Pranks. For James she had gotten him a jersey for his favorite football (British) team. Alex had been slightly more difficult to shop for but in the end she had gotten him a small, durable waterproof watch that automatically switched whenever you entered a new time zone.

Kae had received joke items and art supplies, all which she could put to very good use. Tom had received a T-shirt from Luke and James and a new flashlight from Jessie. Alex had gotten him some guitar strings. Apparently Tom played guitar. Jessie had gotten a silver cross necklace from Luke and some earrings from Alex. Tom had gotten her a copy of The Phantom of the Opera book, unabridged. James had gotten her an instruction book for writing plays.

James got a CD from Jessie and a computer geek book from Tom. When Kae saw it, she broke out into excited babble which Alex translated for them into, "I didn't know you were a computer dork!" Luke had gotten him a British football and Alex had gotten him a simple, yet elegant and very cool looking pendant.

Luke had gotten a huge Sudoku book from Jessie and a gospel CD from Tom. James had gotten him a mini-skeleton model that he could put together. Alex had gotten him a pair of football cleats. Alex himself had also gotten a pendant from Jessie and a rewritten version of Pride and Prejudice, only it was written with zombies in it. He had gotten it from Tom. No doubt the shorter boy had already flipped through it. Luke had gotten him a small survival kit and James had given him a basketball.

Kae pulled her phone out and snapped a picture of the scene quickly, while everyone wasn't expecting it. At that moment the door opened. Wolf tromped, glowering at them all. Kae hastily attempted to shove her phone under the covers before remembering Wolf had given up caring a long time ago. Say, around October.

"Pack your bags," Wolf grunted. "We're going." Kae jumped up.

"Where are we going?" She squealed. Wolf glared at her. Kae gulped. "I mean…_where are we going?"_

"You're going to do pushups."

CRAP!

****

And this is the end of KidLifeNightmare! I realize it's a crappy ending, but it's the best I could come up with and I had to include the presents otherwise I'd feel bad. And I realize that a LOT of those presents would be highly unrealistic for an SAS training camp, but I had to come up with something!

The sequel is called KidLifeBadDream and you can look for it the next couple of days hopefully.


End file.
